Microsoft previously warned of action against Xbox Live users who manipulate their Gamerscores and Achievements, and today the company further details their ways to punish those who have attempted to game the system through avoidance of gameplay and/or use of "external tools". While those found guilty will have their current Gamerscore and Achievements reset as per policy, they still have the chance to earn legitimate future Achievements. However, their Gamertags will now clearly mark them as cheaters to the rest of the XBL community; not exactly the most flattering status to be flaunting.

According to the "Gamerscore Correction" portion of the Xbox support site, cheaters will not have an opportunity to appeal Microsoft's decision and resulting penalties. This can be worrisome if you were in the habit of sharing your Gamertag with friends or family, and Microsoft suggests that you break out of it before things go south.

A LIVE player who obtained their gamerscore in this abnormal way will:

• Resetting the entire Gamerscore for an account to zero
• The account will be unable to regain all previously obtained achievements and Gamerscore, however, the players will have the ability to gain future Achievements by earning them fairly, like the majority of the Xbox LIVE community does.
• The account will be clearly labeled as a cheater for the community to view on xbox.com.