Hacking Games and Building a Career - Mateus Pimentel

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we take a detour from our typical PowerShell conversations to explore the fascinating world of game hacking with backend services developer Mateus Pimentel. Mateus shares his journey from crafting bots for MMORPGs to reverse engineering games and ultimately working in online services for a major gaming company.We discuss his early experiences hacking Tibia, how he overcame being hacked himself as a kid, and how those formative experiences shaped his approach to software development and cybersecurity. Mateus also dives into powerful learning experiences from hacking games, participating in Capture the Flag competitions, and avoiding the dark paths that lure many curious technologists. This episode is a compelling exploration of hacking culture, ethics, and personal transformation.   Topics covered:

• From game hacking to working at a gaming company
• Mateus’ early adventures reverse-engineering Tibia
• Lessons learned from being hacked as a kid
• Ethical hacking, personal growth, and career evolution
• The overlap between game hacking and cybersecurity
• Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions and their career value
• Understanding system protocols and reverse engineering
• Reflections on following your curiosity and avoiding burnout

Notable quote: “Follow your passion. If it’s fun, you’ll learn 10 times faster.”   Bio and Links:  Mateus Pimentel is a software developer with a passion for software architecture, game modding and solving complex problems. From reverse engineering MMORPGs as a teenager to helping secure one of the gaming industry's most ambitious projects at major gaming company, Mateus has cultivated deep technical skills grounded in a strong ethical framework. His journey from underground hacker to professional developer offers a unique and inspiring perspective on how curiosity and integrity can guide a meaningful career in tech.  

• Follow Mateus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pimentelmateus/
• Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links
• Catch PowerShell Wednesdays weekly at 2 PM EST on discord.gg/pdq
• The PowerShell Podcast hub: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast
• Darza's Dominion Hacked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipqge4aJt3U
• Mystera Reborn Hacked: https://youtu.be/Gg6owdR_7h8?si=1Uk0a8RW9czs0TCm
• Using Remote Vision to watch a Player Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poDkWlR-1ks
• Fractured Online Gold Machine: https://youtu.be/EIHJBdrr0Ac?si=Wis9DGinI5EKuN0O
• The PowerShell Podcast Hub: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast 
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8cxtg4QQjZQ