Pirate Software responds to allegations that he cheated in Animal Well and Outer Wilds

In January 2025, Twitch streamer Jason "Pirate Software" faced allegations of cheating in puzzle games such as Animal Well (developed by Billy Basso) and Outer Wilds (developed by Mobius Digital). For context, many fans questioned some of his gameplay in these titles. In one instance, his viewers saw him check out his phone during a playthrough, leading to speculation that he was receiving assistance.

On February 20, 2025, Pirate Software shared a 21-minute video addressing the cheating allegations against him. Around the 17th-minute mark, he stated that if he wanted to cheat, he would have looked at one of his three monitors instead of his phone:

"Lot of people said I cheated because I looked into my phone 'cause it was right here. Why would I cheat when I have a three-monitor setup? I have one monitor here that has broadcast information, usually using game capture, so I could put a guide up here if I wanted to. This (second) one is just OBS, I could put it right next to chat, there it would be very easy to hide it 'cause I'm constantly looking at chat."

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Pirate Software talks about history of solving cryptographic challenges

Continuing his defense, Pirate Software asserted that he has a history of engaging in and completing puzzle-related games and challenges. He highlighted his participation in Def Con, a hacker convention, where he solved multiple cryptographic challenges.

The Twitch streamer further stated that he not only plays puzzle games but also creates them. A prime example is the Heartbound ARG, a single-player RPG that features various puzzle-solving challenges.

Pirate Software showcases one of the puzzles in Heartbound (Image via YouTube/Pirate Software)

He explained that he created the game to stay prepared for events like Def Con, as puzzles, in general, are one of his favorite things:

"This is a massive series of cryptographic challenges that I spent years and it's something I built in the background so I can stay sharp for things like Def Con. Puzzles are my life and it's absurd to me people just gloss over all of this because streamer looked at phone."

The content creator also refuted the Animal Well cheating allegations, pointing out that he played the game on May 11, 2024, just two days after its release. He emphasized that no guides were available until at least May 19, 2024, making it impossible for him to have sought outside assistance.

He admitted that the only help he received was from his chat, emphasizing that he viewed it as a community project rather than solely his undertaking.