Following its successful release, Helldivers 2 has faced backlash from fans due to its controversial anti-cheat system implementation. Read on to learn more about the situation and the game's statement addressing the issue.
Helldivers 2 Players Find the Game's Anti-Cheat Sussy
Devs Prevent Cheating's "Negative Effect on Players' Openness to Playing"
Helldivers 2 uses an anti-cheat tool known as nProtect GameGuard. As with most other anti-cheat tools used in games today, GameGuard operates at the kernel level of a system, granting it access to all user files.
This level of access in PCs raised concerns among players, as any compromise to the anti-cheat tool could potentially lead to severe damage and unauthorized access to personal files. The implementation of GameGuard in Helldivers 2 was a "very disappointing news," expressed one fan.
- [1] Screenshot from Reddit thread
Responding to these concerns, the game's technical director, Peter Lindgren, reassured players that GameGuard does not collect personally identifiable information and emphasized the team's commitment to compliance with regulations such as GDPR and ADPPA. "No, GameGuard does not collect any personally identifiable information (PII)," stated Lindgren in a discussion post. "I can speak from experience that we're all bending over backwards to be compliant with these regulations."
- [2] Screenshot from Reddit thread
However, many players remained skeptical of the necessity of implementing anti-cheat measures in a game primarily focused on online co-op PvE. Some have questioned the need for such measures in a non-competitive game, expressing frustration over potential compromised privacy and the potential false positives of the anti-cheat.
The technical director explained that the decision to implement GameGuard stemmed from the need to address cheating issues observed in the game's predecessor, Helldivers 1. "What we've seen in some of our and others' games is that rampant cheating tends to have a very negative effect on players openness to playing, especially with randoms," said the technical director.
- [3] Screenshot from Helldivers 2's Steam community
Suffice to say, the move affected players openness to playing. Players also raised concerns regarding the anti-cheat system's incompatibility with other platforms potentially rendering the game unplayable.
Some players have voiced their reluctance to purchase the game due to these concerns, while others who already own the game called on the developers to either replace or entirely remove GameGuard.
Source:
[1], [2] Reddit thread
[3] Steam thread
