March 28, 2024

"FIFA 23": EA develops anti-cheat tool with kernel driver

“FIFA 23”: EA develops anti-cheat tool with kernel driver

Game publisher Electronic has introduced its own anti-cheat tool to protect its games from cheating in online modes. The tool will be used for the first time in “FIFA 23”, which launches on September 27.

EA’s anti-cheat tool works with kernel drivers, Electronic Arts explains in a blog entry. This is essential for competitive games like “FIFA 23”, EA wrote there. In recent years, many cheats that work at the kernel level have been released. If anti-cheat software also doesn’t work at the kernel level, these cheats are practically invisible, according to an Electronic Arts blog entry.

According to Electronic Arts, EA AntiCheat (EAAC) should only be used in games that really need this cheater protection. Less invasive anti-cheat measures can be imagined for pure single-player titles or multiplayer games without leaderboards, EA wrote. In principle, EA titles can also do without anti-cheat programs. In the specific example of “FIFA 23”, however, the kernel is also mandatory for pure single players. This is intended to make it more difficult to develop cheats in multiplayer modes.

In the blog entry, EA is trying to remove the fear of the anti-cheat tool from players. Comparable tools are notorious for being data-hungry and degrading game performance. However, extensive testing has been done, EA wrote, and no effects of the tool on gaming performance and stability have been found. “EAAC’s impact on your gameplay is minimal,” writes EA.

The tool also scans only processes that interact with the game. According to EA, apps and other personal data such as browser history are not compromised. EAAC should not be activated at system startup, but only when starting a protected game. If this game closes again, EA’s anti-cheat tool must also be terminated.

In addition, EAAC should automatically uninstall itself when all protected EA games are removed from the PC. You can also uninstall the tool manually, but then protected games like the upcoming “FIFA 23” cannot be played. To ensure EAAC operates in a secure and privacy-compliant manner, EA says it has worked with independent security and privacy auditors.

Other game companies also use similar anti-cheat software, including “Call of Duty” developer Activision, which announced the “Ricochet” tool last October. Other multiplayer titles like “Valorant”, “PUBG” and “Apex Legends” are also protected from cheats by kernel drivers.



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