Hero image: Helldivers 2. Image: Arrowhead Game Studios
Arrowhead Game Studios has moved Helldivers 2 from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat, and says some mods may stop working.
The studio announced the change in a Steam post dated 20 October. It names two steps.
“Implementing additional security measures to crack down on recent cheat mods that have been circulating.”
“Transitioning from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat today, October 20th, with additional security tools in place to enhance its effectiveness and improve game integrity protection.”
The post gives a reason for dropping GameGuard.
“The implementation of GameGuard for HELLDIVERS 2 wasn’t as effective as it could have been, and in the end we decided to take another path with EAC.”
It calls Easy Anti-Cheat “an industry standard used in over 200 games”. That is the studio’s own description.
The post is not against mods in general. It says Arrowhead appreciates “the creativity behind cosmetic and non-gameplay mods”.
It does expect fallout.
“These changes mean that some mods, particularly the types that are affecting the experience of other players, may no longer function. It also means that some non-malicious cosmetic mods may require updates from their individual creators in order to keep working.”
If Easy Anti-Cheat blocks a mod you think is harmless, the FAQ tells you to “reach out to our official support on Zendesk”.
On safety, the FAQ declines to vouch for any mod. “Using mods is done at your own discretion, and so we cannot determine what’s safe vs. unsafe to use.”
On hardware, it says “there are no changes in hardware requirements”. On the Steam Deck and Linux, it says “Steam Deck and Linux compatibility remains unchanged”.
Steam lists Arrowhead Game Studios as developer and PlayStation Publishing LLC as publisher. When we read Steam’s most-played chart on 21 October, Helldivers 2 ranked 10th, up from 21st the week before.
Source: Helldivers 2 (Steam) – Changing anti-cheat in HELLDIVERS 2, Steam – HELLDIVERS 2, Steam – most-played chart