This creates a vicious cycle. Many new server owners believe they need a population to attract a population. They might feel they cannot compete with established servers, which seem perpetually full. In this environment, the promise of a cheap and instant boost is understandably tempting. It feels like a way to level the playing field and get the initial "seed" population needed to attract real players.
I’ve tested a few “fake players” (AI bots / dummy pedestrians) scripts for FiveM over the past month, and the results are mixed at best.
Spawning too many customized AI peds will severely drain your server's server-side tick rate (CPU usage) and cause immense lag for players. Fake Players Fivem
It is considered unfair to legitimate, hardworking communities that strive to build a player base organically, as noted in a CFX Community discussion . Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
: Lists of players with extremely generic or similar names are often a giveaway. This creates a vicious cycle
The reasons are rooted in the intense competition for visibility. In the vast FiveM server browser, a high player count is the most powerful marketing tool. A server at the top of the list with 150 players will naturally attract more attention than a server on the bottom with 20.
This method bypasses bots entirely. Instead of forcing virtual entities to join the game world, server developers modify the server’s underlying code or use custom resources to manipulate the data sent to the Cfx.re master list API. If the server actually has 5 real players, the script instructs the API to report that 75 people are online. Why Do Server Owners Use Fake Players? In this environment, the promise of a cheap
The Rise of "Fake Players" in FiveM: Boosting Numbers or Destroying Community?
FiveM server lists are highly competitive. Player count acts as a heuristic for quality.