Anticheats, especially kernel-mode ones does not make the problem smaller. All they do is make it more rewarding for capable people.
The average cheater is (or was) basically a troll. They delighted in the act of ruining other people’s games, not installing the cheat. The harder you make it for them to get to that point, the less enjoyment they get.
The people you describe who are in it for the thrill of breaking through are not the ones playing 6 hours every night because the game itself is not the thrill. It’s the exploration of the hardware and software. They might get cheats set up, but once it’s working they get bored with the game and move on to another technical challenge.
* I use easy cheats for single player games - for example, infinite jumps in cyberpunk 2077 are just huge amounts of fun :)
* I have zero desire for cheating in multilayer games. Not some high morality righteous horse, just, what's the point? I have fun even when I lose, and having something else play for you takes away from visceral fun that I get.
* I could understand, even if not agree, people who cheat for profit. That's the basis of all crime everywhere.
* I do not understand people who cheat in multilayer games not-for-profit. It feel you need to have both a) some sort of anti social / non social tendency, and b) dopamine rushes along pathways I don't.
I'd be genuinely curious to hear about your acquaintances who cheat in multilayer for no profit and why they do it :-)
Some are just addicted, they really love the game, but playing without cheats doesn't make them feel anything so they pick the easiest solution: continue to cheat... forever.
Some are just delusional, they do not want to deal with the reality that they're not good at the game without cheats.
Some are just trolling and want to spinbot piss people off, make people angry. It's what makes them happy.
Some don't have a choice, they started their competitive career with cheats.
Some justify it that "I made the cheat, I deserve to use it"
If you want more I got a whole book of reasons. I am in a unique situation since I happen to be friends from back when I was cheating a lot my self, in that time I established relationships with a lot of developers and personally for me it was curiosity that got me not only into cheating, but the whole process and development. I ended up just making roblox games though.