Daily Crunch: Game developer bans 6,700 cheaters and publishes their usernames
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We hope you’re meeting the week with open arms, crunchers, and that the week loves you right back. Unrequited love from abstract conceptual measurements of time are so heartbreaking.
Let’s kick this off by reminding you there’s only 5 days left to save $1,000 on Disrupt passes! — Christine and Haje
The TechCrunch Top 3
No one likes a cheater: Definitely not Russian game developer Battlestate Games, which banned and doxed 6,700 cheaters from its Escape from Tarkov game. Lorenzo has more.
You get a loan and you get a loan!: Ingrid writes that U.K.-based open banking loans platform Abound secured $601 million in new funding to “supercharge” its consumer lending business that makes loans between £1,000 and £10,000 with some generous repayment options of up to five years.
Microsoft’s next stop: Microsoft’s automation journey has the software giant making a pit stop in Business App Suite City to drop off AI-powered Copilot capabilities, Kyle reports.
Startups and VC
Also today, we are releasing the final episode of our Inside Startup Battlefield podcast miniseries, which is all about TechCrunch’s pitch competition. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for — the winner is announced!
And we have five more for you:
Board already: Vinod Khosla’s advice for top VCs is to not sit on their founders’ boards, Natasha M reports.
Moar layoffs: Tage reports that Nigerian B2B e-commerce startup Alerzo cuts 15% of full-time staff in second round of layoffs.
A summary of automotive: Kirsten’s newsletter is always worth reading, but this week was particularly jam-packed with juicy info. “Another AV company hits the skids, Scout Motors picks a home and Tesla’s tepid investor day” gives you a taster — go read the full thing.
Ruh-roh: Tage reports that alleged security breach leaves millions of dollars missing from Flutterwave accounts.
Gotta stay focused: At TC+, Haje is eager to remind you that if you have more than one business model, you don’t really have a business model.
Creating remote work rituals that stick
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