PC Game Anti-Cheat Systems
An anti-cheat system helps a game detect or prevent unfair play. CheatsMatch covers five systems relevant to our PC game comparisons: Easy Anti-Cheat, Riot Vanguard, BattlEye, RICOCHET and Valve Anti-Cheat. Use this directory to connect a game with its official security context and understand what a provider’s compatibility claim actually covers.
Browse five anti-cheat systems
The table connects each guide to the game comparisons it helps explain. Open the guide for the exact publisher sources and their platform limits. An anti-cheat name is useful context, but it is not a complete product requirement. Games can combine third-party services with their own checks.
| System | Relevant CheatsMatch coverage | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Anti-Cheat | Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rust; qualified Dead by Daylight context | An EAC claim must still name the game and platform. |
| Riot Vanguard | Valorant | Optional on-demand mode has separate security requirements. |
| BattlEye | Escape from Tarkov; Fortnite, Siege and PUBG context | Publisher-specific layers and current scope still matter. |
| RICOCHET | Call of Duty: Warzone | The PC driver is one part of wider client and server protection. |
| Valve Anti-Cheat | Counter-Strike 2 | VAC, game and third-party server restrictions are different. |
Start with the exact game
A listing that says “EAC supported” has not necessarily explained Fortnite, Rust and Apex support separately. Those games have different features, release cycles and publisher decisions. The same caution applies when a storefront lists several BattlEye games together.
We use current publisher material where available and preserve scope limits. For example, Behaviour published EAC information in July 2026 and a Denuvo Anti-Cheat test FAQ in August. That means a simple, permanent “Dead by Daylight uses only EAC” label would leave out relevant context. The game and platform are the useful starting point.
What anti-cheat compatibility means
There are two different claims in a product comparison. First, an official source may establish that a game uses an anti-cheat system. Second, a software provider may claim that its product supports that game. The official game fact does not verify the provider’s product.
CheatsMatch keeps those sources separate. A provider-reported compatibility label means the provider names the game or platform. It does not mean the anti-cheat vendor approved the tool or that CheatsMatch tested it. Broad terms such as “all games” or “all anti-cheats” are less useful than a named, dated support list.
Read status claims in their proper scope
Active, updating, unavailable and unknown describe the status information we could establish for a listing. A provider’s “undetected” label is attributed to that provider. It is not a prediction about the next game session or update.
A working storefront also does not establish product status. A checkout can remain available while a tool is being updated. We check the product-specific status page where one can be found and record meaningful conflicts rather than choosing the most favorable phrase.
Bans, restrictions and service errors
A game failing to launch is not enough to identify an HWID ban. Anti-cheat services also publish help for damaged files, service failures and incompatible software. The exact message and the official support explanation matter.
BattlEye’s FAQ, for example, distinguishes some blocked-file messages from bans. EA’s Apex support also describes integrity and launch errors. Use the relevant official support process for account or technical questions; a product comparison cannot diagnose a player’s sanction.
Keep the game context current
These pages record the sources reviewed and explain recent changes that materially affect a comparison. They do not reproduce every anti-cheat patch note or promise daily monitoring.
For product research, return to the game comparison and read the named tool, platform, status date, plan and limitations together. For anti-cheat behavior, use the official source beside the claim. Those two kinds of information answer different parts of the same research question.
Sources and check dates
Numbers beside a fact or score refer to the sources below. Provider descriptions are claims, not independent product tests.
- Behaviour — EAC launch error, July 2026 · checked 2026-09-14
- Behaviour — Denuvo Anti-Cheat test FAQ · checked 2026-09-14
- BattlEye — support FAQ · checked 2026-09-14
- EA — Apex Legends error codes · checked 2026-09-14
- Easy Anti-Cheat — official service overview · checked 2026-09-14
- Riot Games — Vanguard On-Demand, June 24, 2026 · checked 2026-09-14
- BattlEye — client and server protection · checked 2026-09-14
- Call of Duty — RICOCHET Anti-Cheat · checked 2026-09-14
- Steam Support — Valve Anti-Cheat system · checked 2026-09-14