Electronic Arts (EA) has announced the launch of EA AntiCheat (EAAC). EA AntiCheat (EAAC) is a kernel-level system that it describes as “absolutely essential” to combat cheaters, who are increasingly trying to take advantage of this deep computer access mode. To forestall security and privacy concerns, Elise Murphy, EA’s Senior Director of Game Security & Anti-Cheat, published a lengthy blog giving various assurances about EAAC’s scope of operations. Frequently Asked Questions About technology. EEAC will debut with the release of FIFA 23 at the end of the month.
EA’s Murphy asserts that the introduction of EAAC is about “providing a safe and fair experience for all players.” Unfortunately, in the 2022 PC gaming environment, implementing kernel-level protections to create a level playing field in competitive gaming is essential, EA said. . Cheat developers have moved to the kernel to avoid detection by traditional anti-cheat and anti-tampering techniques, so much like an arms race, EA will have to change tactics.
Following this kernel-level path, EA says it codes its new anti-cheat solution “with full ownership of its security and privacy regime, so security issues can be fixed as soon as they occur.” The new anti-cheat system “looks only at what it needs for anti-cheat purposes,” EA explained, alleviating concerns that it might snoop on things like your PC’s browsing history and personal files. However, EA admits that when a process on the PC tries to interact with his EAAC game, it “may recognize and respond to it.”
Other important assurances provided by EA’s FAQ are that EAAC:
- Only runs when EAAC games are running.
- Doesn’t degrade game stability or performance.
- It is implemented on a case-by-case basis as needed for fair multiplayer gameplay and may not be implemented in all games.
- If you have multiple EAAC games installed, uninstalling the last game will uninstall EAAC.
- Continuously tested for bugs and vulnerabilities by EA and independent third-party security and privacy advisors.
EA isn’t the first PC game publisher to implement kernel-level anti-cheat and anti-tamper technology in their games, and probably won’t be the last. Last year, Activision announced the Ricochet anti-cheat system made especially for his one of the biggest online multiplayer games. Call of Duty published an interesting blog back in June of this year explaining their progress so far. Ricochet in this iconic franchise.
