If you play open world games on PC, PlayStation or Xbox, you have probably wondered whether turning on cheats kills your achievements for good. The honest answer is that it depends on the game, the platform and, most importantly, on how the game flags cheating. Some titles only pause award tracking for the current session, some write a marker into the save file, and a few write a permanent block into the world data itself. This guide breaks down those three lock types and what each one means for a 100% completion run.
Cheat rules also change between editions. A title that blocked achievements on launch can behave differently after a patch, and the Java and Bedrock editions of the same game can disagree completely. Everything below was last checked in 2026, and it is worth confirming the warning for your specific version before you activate anything.
Table of Contents
- 1Do Cheats Disable Achievements in Open World Games?
- 2What Counts as a Cheat?
- 3What is not cheating at all
- 4Why Do Some Cheats Disable Achievements?
- 51. Session lock
- 62. Save-flag lock
- 73. Permanent save or world block
- 8Do cheats disable achievements in open world games permanently?
- 9Do Trainers, Mods, and Cheat Codes Always Cause the Same Result?
- 10Which Open World Games Use Achievement Warnings?
- 11Do the rules change by platform?
- 12How to Check Before Using Cheats
- 13What to Do If a Cheat Has Disabled Your Achievements
- 14Frequently Asked Questions
- 15Can using a cheat ruin all achievements in an open world game?
- 16Do visual-only mods disable achievements?
- 17Why can offline cheats still affect console trophies?
- 18Can achievement eligibility be restored after using a trainer?
- 19Is entering a game’s built-in cheat menu the same as using a third-party cheat?
- 20Conclusion
Do Cheats Disable Achievements in Open World Games?
Yes, sometimes. Many open world games stop awarding achievements or trophies while cheats, console commands, mods or external trainers are active. But the block is rarely total: some games only pause awards for the current play session, some write a flag into your save, and a few write a permanent block into the world. Which one you hit decides whether you can earn those achievements later.
Three things worth knowing up front, because they answer most of the panic posts you will find on forums:
- Achievements you already unlocked usually stay unlocked. Games almost never revoke completed trophies for later cheating. The block applies to new unlocks, not past ones.
- Opening a cheat or console menu is not the same as using it. Most games watch for the command being executed, not the menu being opened. Merely bringing up the developer console to look around is normally harmless.
- Multiplayer is the real risk, not the trophy. Cheating in an online world can mean a ban or a competitive restriction, which hurts far more than a missing gamerscore entry.
The rest of this guide explains what counts as a cheat, why the block happens, and which games do what.
What Counts as a Cheat?
Players use the word cheat for five different things, and they get flagged in five different ways. Sorting them out is the fastest way to understand the whole problem.
Built-in cheat codes are the ones the developer shipped. GTA V has a cheat phone you can open with a button, Saints Row has a code entry screen, and RDR2 has its own cheat menu. The game knows exactly when one fires, so it can react precisely.
Developer console commands are typed text commands like additem or mod_my_stat. Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starfield, Valheim and Subnautica all expose a console of some kind. Commands are more granular than cheat codes, which means some of them are safe and some are not.
Mods are files that alter the game. A texture swap is cosmetic and normally harmless. A mod that changes damage rules, unlocks content early or rewires quest logic is a gameplay mod, and those reliably trigger achievement blocks.
Third-party trainers are external programs that attach to the running game and write values into memory. Tools like WeMod and Cheat Engine live outside the game process entirely, so the game sees memory changing without an in-game action explaining why.
Exploits are the odd one out. No cheat menu, no mod file, just a sequence of legitimate actions the developers did not intend to be possible.
What is not cheating at all
This is where a lot of confusion comes from, so let me clear it up. Difficulty and accessibility modes are sanctioned by the developer and do not count as cheating. That includes:
- Assist mode and accessibility presets, which explicitly say in-game that they still allow achievements.
- Creative and sandbox modes, when the game keeps achievements enabled in that mode. Minecraft Bedrock is the exception, because the world data itself gets flagged.
- Ironman and permadeath-style runs, which are harder, not cheats.
- Sanctioned skips, such as fast travel or a quest you deliberately abandon.
Players on the Witcher 3 Steam forums assumed assist mode would block trophies, because in most games an in-game cheat does. It does not, and that assumption cost some people hours before they checked.
Why Do Some Cheats Disable Achievements?
Developers block achievement awards for one reason: to protect the leaderboards and the rarity of the badge. When an achievement can be earned by cutting the campaign in half, it stops meaning anything. How that block is implemented is what actually matters to you.
1. Session lock
A session lock lives in memory only. Close the game, reload the save or restart the console and it clears. GTA V works this way, and Rockstar’s own support documentation states plainly that saving is allowed while cheat codes are enabled but achievements are temporarily disabled. Players on r/GrandTheftAutoV describe the same thing from the other side: the block ends when the game reloads, which happens naturally around autosaves.
If your game has a session lock, you lose nothing permanently. You just cannot earn the achievement until you have quit and reloaded without the cheat active.
2. Save-flag lock
A save-flag lock is written into your save file. It survives restarts and console reboots, and it stays until something specifically clears it. Factorio is the clean example: a player on their forums reported learning the hard way that achievements are disabled in a map if any console command is used, and that the flag lives with the save.
Skyrim sits in a messy middle ground here, which is why it generates more arguments than any other game on the list. Most players report that ordinary console commands do not block achievements. Anniversary Edition reportedly blocks on some commands and not others, and the specific list is not something the developers published cleanly.
3. Permanent save or world block
A permanent block is written into the world data and is never cleared by turning cheats back off. Minecraft Bedrock is the textbook case: switching on Activate Cheats stamps the world, and that stamp stays with the world forever. The same block fires in Creative mode, flat worlds, certain experimental features and non-custom templates.
On Bedrock the awards are called achievements on Xbox, Windows and mobile, and trophies on PlayStation. The edition matters: Java Edition has no achievements at all. It has advancements instead, which are never flag-locked and cannot be disabled by cheats.
Do cheats disable achievements in open world games permanently?
Only in the permanent-block case. Session locks and most save-flag locks clear or can be cleared. A world-level block does not clear by itself, so the only reliable path is to start a fresh world. If you want to keep experimenting, treat your clean save as precious and do your cheating somewhere else.
Do Trainers, Mods, and Cheat Codes Always Cause the Same Result?
They do not, and treating them as the same thing is the most common mistake players make. Here is how each entry method compares.
| Method | How the game notices | Typical achievement effect |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in cheat code | The game itself raised the event | Session lock, most often |
| Developer console command | Console execution is logged | Varies per game, from nothing to a permanent block |
| Cosmetic mod | Mod list checked at launch | Usually nothing |
| Gameplay mod | Mod list checked at launch | Usually blocks until removed |
| Third-party trainer | External memory writes | Blocks, and risks a multiplayer ban |
| Save editor | Modified file no longer matches expectations | Blocks, sometimes permanently |
| Exploit | Detection is patch-dependent | Unpredictable |
Two examples show why the distinction matters. In Skyrim, changing your field of view with a console command is a display tweak that most players report leaves achievements working. In RDR2, the single act of opening the cheat menu is enough to block trophies and, unusually, also stops you saving.
That RDR2 saving side effect surprises people every time. The long-running thread on GameFAQs and r/RedDeadRedemption goes back years: with cheats enabled the game refuses to save, so the session lock question is academic because there is nothing to lose yet.
Which Open World Games Use Achievement Warnings?
The table below covers the titles players ask about most. Check your own game before relying on it, because a single patch can change a row.
| Game | Cheat entry method | Blocked? | Lock type | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | Built-in cheat phone | Yes, temporarily | Session | Reload or restart the game |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Built-in cheat menu | Yes, and saving is disabled too | Session | Turn cheats off, then save |
| Saints Row | Built-in code entry | Yes | Session | Disable cheats and continue |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Special Edition) | Console commands | Usually no for most commands | None or minor | Nothing usually needed |
| Skyrim (Anniversary Edition) | Console commands | Some commands only | Mixed | Check the command before running it |
| Skyrim (Special Edition) | Mods | Yes, unless an enabler is used | Load-time | Achievements Mods Enabler |
| Fallout 4 | Console commands | Yes for many commands | Save-linked | Remove mods, reload an older save |
| Starfield | Console commands | Reported as blocking on many commands | Save-linked | Varies, verify in a test save |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Built-in cheat menu | Yes | Session | Disable cheats and reload |
| Elden Ring | No built-in menu, mods and trainers | Yes with mods or trainers | Load-time | Remove the mod |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Console commands and mods | Yes with mods | Load-time | Disable mods and restart |
| Tears of the Kingdom | Authorized glider and amiibo items | No, they are sanctioned | None | Not applicable |
| Subnautica | Debug console commands | Yes for commands that alter state | Save-linked | Restore a pre-cheat save |
| Valheim | Console commands | Reported as blocking | Save-linked | Admin-mode play on a separate world |
| 7 Days to Die | Console commands and debug menu | Yes | Save-linked | Restore an earlier world save |
| Minecraft Bedrock | Activate Cheats toggle, commands, Creative mode | Yes, permanently for that world | Permanent | Start a new world |
| Minecraft Java | Commands and cheats | No achievements exist | Not applicable | Advancements are never locked |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Built-in cheats | Yes | Session | Disable cheats and reload |
| Black Desert Online | External trainers | Yes, plus account action risk | Server-side | Contact support if flagged |
| Factorio | Any console command | Yes for that map | Save-flag | Start a fresh map |
Do the rules change by platform?
They do, mostly in naming and in what the platform does about it. On Xbox the awards are called achievements and the score is gamerscore. On PlayStation they are trophies, and the EZ code system is entirely separate, so entering an EZ code does not affect your trophy list at all. On PC and Steam they are achievements, and Steam tracks some of them through its own overlay.
The block is usually enforced by the game itself rather than the console, which is why the same title can behave slightly differently across platforms after an update.
How to Check Before Using Cheats
Before you activate anything on a save you care about, run through this list.
- Find the warning for your exact edition. Check the store page, the in-game options and the official support site. The wording often tells you the lock type, for example a note that achievements are disabled while cheats are enabled.
- Check whether the mode is sanctioned. Difficulty and accessibility options are not cheats. If a menu explicitly says achievements still work, it is telling you the truth.
- Check for online play. If the game has any multiplayer, ranked queues or anti-cheat, do the cheating there and nowhere else.
- Copy your save somewhere outside the game. Find the local save folder and copy the file. Cloud sync can overwrite a clean save with a cheats-flagged one, and a manual copy is the only thing that reliably survives that.
- Turn off cloud sync before you cheat. Otherwise the flagged version may come back down and replace your backup.
- Test in a throwaway run first. Start a new game, activate the cheat, and try to earn one specific achievement. Two minutes of testing tells you more than an hour of forum reading.
Two more rules I would not break. Do not open your only clean save with a mod loader attached, and do not run an external trainer against a game that has anti-cheat running. Neither is worth the recovery effort.
What to Do If a Cheat Has Disabled Your Achievements
First, work out which lock type you are dealing with, because the recovery differs.
If it is a session lock, quit the game completely and reload the save. On console, fully close the application rather than returning to the dashboard. Your achievements work again immediately.
If it is a save-flag lock, load a save from before you enabled the cheat. Achievement systems read the state of the save at the moment of the unlock, so a clean earlier save usually re-opens the path.
If it is a permanent world block, there is no supported way to clear it. Start a new world and keep the flagged one only for testing.
Before contacting support, note the platform, the exact game version, the date you used the cheat and what you did. If a cheat engine was involved, be straightforward about it. Support staff can tell you whether your platform has a tamper flag; they usually cannot lift an in-game lock.
One thing not to panic about: your already-unlocked achievements stay unlocked. Players on r/subnautica and the TrueAchievements community raise this constantly, and the consistent answer across those threads is that completed entries are never revoked retroactively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can using a cheat ruin all achievements in an open world game?
It depends on how the game flags the cheat. Session locks pause award tracking until you reload the game, so nothing is lost. Save-flag locks stay with the save file until you load an earlier one. Only a permanent world block, such as the Activate Cheats stamp in Minecraft Bedrock, cannot be undone. Achievements you already unlocked are never revoked.
Do visual-only mods disable achievements?
Usually not. Texture swaps, lighting overhauls and other cosmetic mods change how the game looks rather than what it does, and most achievement systems ignore them. Gameplay mods that alter damage, unlocks, quest logic or progression reliably do trigger a block. If you are unsure, check whether the mod’s description mentions gameplay values, and test in a throwaway save first.
Why can offline cheats still affect console trophies?
Because the block is enforced by the game, not the network. Single-player titles check for cheat activation when an achievement would unlock, whether or not you are connected to anything. The console only receives the result. The exception is anything with online features or anti-cheat, where using cheats offline can still leave a record or flag your account.
Can achievement eligibility be restored after using a trainer?
Often yes, because most session locks clear when you fully quit and reload the game. If the game uses a save-flag lock instead, load a save made before you ran the trainer. Some Bethesda titles load flags from the mod list at startup, so removing the mod and restarting restores eligibility. A permanent world block cannot be restored, and external trainers on anti-cheat games risk a separate account ban.
Is entering a game’s built-in cheat menu the same as using a third-party cheat?
No, and the difference matters. A built-in menu is part of the game, so the developer chose exactly what to block and for how long. A third-party trainer sits outside the game process and writes memory directly, so the game sees unexplained changes and may block awards, ban the account or both. RDR2 is the extreme case: opening its built-in menu blocks trophies and also stops saving.
Conclusion
So, do cheats disable achievements in open world games? Sometimes, and the outcome depends on the game, the platform, the type of cheat and whether the game is online. Before you activate anything, read the on-screen warning, copy your save outside the game folder, turn off cloud sync, and test in a throwaway run. If the block turns out to be permanent, you will be glad you had the backup.
