Cheaters annoy fans of every shooter. Battlefield 2042 aimed to score points with a particularly strong protection against cheaters. However, it is now said that the first hackers have already cracked the anti-cheat program.
What kind of protection is this? Easy Anti Cheat (short: EAC) is the cheat protection from Epic Games, also used in EA games like Apex Legends and Star Wars: Squadrons. Battlefield 2042 also relies on Easy Anti Cheat and some measures designed to deter:
- an immediate, permanent ban – no warnings and no temporary penalties
- penalties for all platforms, including: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- possible penalties for other EA games
Why is this important? Cheaters are a major problem for all shooters, and particularly the Call of Duty series has traditionally struggled with this. In the free Warzone, cheaters repeatedly ruin the fun of the game.
With cheats, cheaters can automatically aim at you without aiming or see through walls. Battlefield 2042 could surpass CoD if the game is effectively protected from cheaters.
The problem is that the protection is reportedly already compromised. After a cheat provider predicted that Battlefield 2042 will be infested with cheaters, well-known leaker Tom Handerson now reports that Easy Anti Cheat has already been cracked – one day before the beta launch:
The players are taking this surprisingly calmly
This is how fans are reacting: In the Battlefield 2042 subreddit, fans are currently discussing the news. Most are not surprised; it was to be expected that something like this would happen. User IIALE34II writes:
Honestly, there is no such thing as an impenetrable cheat protection. EAC has been used in Apex and Fortnite, both popular games. It’s clear to get through that quickly. Hackers probably know how it works. But it’s not about getting through. It’s about tracking these people down and getting rid of them.
Of course, the news is not pleasant, but somehow one expected something like that. And at least cheaters would have to buy the game again if caught – after all, Battlefield 2042 is not free.
How does EA protect the players? The great strength of programs like Easy Anti Cheat is that they not only ban cheaters but can also ban their accounts or even IPs. Particularly, the IP is not easy to change without technical knowledge.
Some programs go so far as to ban the hardware completely. So you would have to buy a new console or a new PC to continue playing after a ban. That wouldn’t be worthwhile even with cheating.
How far Battlefield 2042 really goes to protect players from cheaters and how severe the cheater plague will be in Battlefield 2042 remains to be seen. The open beta starts on October 6 for pre-orderers and on October 8 for everyone. However, you don’t necessarily have to pre-order to participate earlier:
This is how you can play the Battlefield 2042 beta earlier without a pre-order
