Anti-Cheat
Ongoing coverage on Anti-Cheat.
Latest coverage
Call of Duty now has a guide on how to enable its convoluted security features so you can play the Modern Warfare 4 beta on PC
Activision has released a comprehensive guide and video tutorial to help PC players enable necessary security features like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta. These features are now mandatory for all online play in Modern Warfare 4, a stricter requirement than in previous titles like Black Ops 7 and Warzone. The guide also includes a downloadable wizard to test PC compatibility.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Gets New Video Explaining Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 Settings Ahead of Beta
Activision has released a video guide detailing strict PC requirements for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's beta, including enabling Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 for the Ricochet Anti-Cheat system. These requirements will also apply to Warzone players. The beta will feature the new Kill Block mode, with the full game launching October 23rd on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Roadmaps and Plans
Rainbow Six Siege is implementing new anti-cheat measures and balancing updates. Meanwhile, PUBG: Battlegrounds is introducing a new meta rotation to change its gunplay.
Danger Zone
TeamRICOCHET provided an update on anti-cheat efforts for the Call of Duty franchise. The announcement was shared via the official Call of Duty X account, detailing ongoing work to combat cheating in the game.
Digimon UP Code 00000038 Security Policy Violation Error Affects Android Players
Digimon UP players on Android are experiencing a security policy violation error (Code:00000038) that prevents them from playing, even on unmodified devices. The issue is suspected to be caused by the game's anti-cheat system incorrectly flagging built-in Android gaming optimization tools. While there is no guaranteed fix, players can try disabling these features or closing background applications, though a developer-side solution may be required.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 expands Ricochet anti-cheat to combat exploits in Ranked after banning over 263,000 cheaters…
Activision is expanding the use of its Ricochet anti-cheat software to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and its Ranked play mode to combat sophisticated exploits. The Ricochet system has already banned over 293,000 accounts year-to-date, with enhanced hardware ban capabilities being implemented in Season 5. The company emphasizes that most bans are driven by internal detection and investigation data, not just player-submitted clips.
Apex Legends devs dole out nearly 6,000 hardware bans in anti-cheat crackdown on "malicious bad actors"
Respawn Entertainment has issued nearly 6,000 hardware bans in Apex Legends since the end of April, targeting malicious actors and serial cheaters on both PC and consoles. This crackdown aims to enhance game fairness by identifying and restricting repeat offenders who attempt to evade enforcement.
Helldivers 2 introduces new cheater-monitoring methods
Arrowhead Game Studios has implemented new anti-cheat measures in Helldivers 2 to detect and address players manipulating the Super Credit system. These changes, effective immediately, aim to ensure a fair experience in the Galactic War without impacting honest players. The developer also mentioned the upcoming motion picture adaptation of the franchise.
Trove begins Sunfest as Gamigo introduces anti-cheat and cracks down on exploitative mods
Gamigo has launched the summer Sunfest event for Trove, which includes new quests and collectibles. Alongside the event, the company has implemented an anti-cheat system called Xigncode on PC to combat exploitative behavior and ensure fair gameplay. The update also clarifies acceptable mods, focusing on UI and quality-of-life improvements while prohibiting automation and cheating.
Arc Raiders reveals it's been successfully targeting item duplication exploits as the percentage of players with 'unusually high profit per minute' drops below 1% for the first time in months
Embark has announced significant progress in combating item duplication exploits in Arc Raiders, with the percentage of players exhibiting unusually high profit per minute dropping below 1%. The studio has also completed the rollout of Denuvo Anti-Cheat, which is now enforced for all players, leading to promising results in identifying and acting against cheaters.
If you're a sicko, you can now run Windows on the Steam Machine
Valve has released official Windows 11 drivers for the Steam Machine, enabling full hardware support for Microsoft's operating system on the device. While this allows users to install Windows 11 and gain wider compatibility with PC storefronts and services like Xbox Game Pass, it requires wiping the existing SteamOS. The release is seen as a potential precursor to dual-booting functionality, which could make the Steam Machine a more competitive console-like PC hybrid.
ARC Raiders Now Tracks Your Playstyle Across Different Squad Sizes
Embark Studios has updated ARC Raiders with a new matchmaking system that tracks player playstyles across different squad sizes, aiming for a more consistent experience. The update also includes improvements to loot from ARC Turbines, fixes for despawning issues, and adjustments to boss mechanics. Future expansions to the Free Kit mechanic are also planned.
ARC Raiders’ Denuvo Anti-Cheat Rollout is Complete, Embark Says There’s More To Come
Embark Studios has completed the rollout of its Denuvo Anti-Cheat system for ARC Raiders, aiming to ensure fair play for its player base. The studio is also working on more advanced cheat detection methods and minimizing false positives. Embark plans to share further details on its fair play efforts soon.
"When Arc Raiders was at its peak," Embark was burning 30 terabytes of data per day tracking every single bullet fired: "We want to know who shot first"
Embark Studios, developer of Arc Raiders and The Finals, employs extensive data tracking to analyze player behavior, with up to 30 terabytes of data processed daily. This data is used for anti-cheat measures, bug detection, weapon balancing, and tuning the matchmaking system to differentiate player aggression levels. The studio can track events like bullet impacts and player positions with very low latency, providing granular insights into gameplay.
Arc Raiders devs have "completed our rollout of Denuvo Anti-Cheat to all players," but Embark isn't done yet with "a more extensive update" striving for fair play
Embark Studios has completed the rollout of Denuvo Anti-Cheat to all players of their extraction shooter, Arc Raiders. The studio is monitoring the software's performance and impact while working on a more extensive update to further combat cheating and exploits. This move is part of an ongoing effort to ensure fair play and address issues like duplication glitches.
Danger Zone
Riot Games is changing its controversial always-on requirement for the Valorant anti-cheat software, Riot Vanguard. A new on-demand mode will be introduced, which will require a strict Windows 11 security stack. This change aims to address player concerns about the anti-cheat's constant presence.
Danger Zone
PUBG: Battlegrounds is implementing anti-cheat improvements and outlining its future direction. The article details ongoing efforts to enhance the game's integrity and provides insights into upcoming developments.
League of Legends' Vanguard anti-cheat finally gets the option to only run when you fire up a game, as Riot roll out "on-demand sessions" for "sufficiently secured" PCs
Riot Games has introduced an optional 'on-demand' mode for its Vanguard anti-cheat software in League of Legends and Valorant. This new feature allows Vanguard to run only when a game is active, rather than starting with the PC, for users whose systems meet modern security requirements. Players with older hardware that does not meet these requirements will continue to use the always-on version of Vanguard.
There's a surprising amount of major games you can't play on Valve's Steam Machine - here are eight of the biggest, and why
Valve's Steam Machine, despite its potential, faces significant limitations due to its SteamOS (a Linux variant) not supporting many popular games. This is primarily caused by anti-cheat software, which is incompatible with Linux, rendering titles like Destiny 2, Fortnite, Battlefield 6, Apex Legends, GTA Online, EA Sports FC 24, and modern Call of Duty games unplayable. While installing Windows is an option, it defeats the purpose of the console-like device.
You can finally turn Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat off when you're not playing a game
Riot Games is updating its Vanguard anti-cheat system to an 'on demand' model, meaning it will only run when playing League of Legends or Valorant and will shut down afterward. This change requires modern PC hardware and specific Windows security features like UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. The update aims to reduce the intrusiveness of the kernel-mode software while maintaining its effectiveness against cheaters.
