Helldivers 2 switches to Easy Anti-Cheat and warns that mods may break

Arrowhead Game Studios is moving Helldivers 2 to a new anti-cheat system, and PC players who use mods are not happy about it. The studio has warned that some mods may stop working, and Steam reviews have turned sharply negative.

Why Arrowhead is making the switch

The studio is replacing GameGuard with Easy Anti-Cheat. Eurogamer reports that Arrowhead has admitted GameGuard "wasn't as effective as it could have been."

Rock Paper Shotgun describes the move as part of a crackdown on cheat mods. Its report says the developers want to tighten up security and stop mods that affect the experience of players beyond the person who has installed them. According to PC Gamer, Arrowhead says Easy Anti-Cheat will be more effective at combating the recent cheat mods.

The mod warning

The catch is that the change may affect mods. PC Gamer's headline says Arrowhead warned that mods may break as part of the switch. The reports we have do not list which mods are affected, so players who rely on any should not assume theirs will keep working.

Steam reviews react

The reaction on Steam was quick. PC Gamer reports that the change has resulted in more than 1,000 negative user reviews in a single day. That is a count of reviews from players, not a measure of the cheating problem, and it does not say how many of those reviewers actually use mods.

Whether this affects the game's overall Steam rating is something the reports do not say.

What players should know

• Arrowhead is moving from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat.
• The studio itself says GameGuard was not as effective as it could have been.
• The aim, per Rock Paper Shotgun, is to crack down on cheat mods that affect other players.
• Mods may break, according to Arrowhead's warning as reported by PC Gamer.

The studio has not, in the coverage so far, laid out a full list of what will and will not work after the switch. If you use mods in Helldivers 2, it is worth checking Arrowhead's own channels for updates before you next drop in, and treating any mod-dependent setup as at risk until the studio says otherwise.