EA announced today that the new FIFA 23, out September 30th, will be launched with a kernel-level anti-cheat system. This will only happen on the PC versions of the game, and according to the study “will ensure fair play in the game”.
The announcement came in an official blog post, in which EA explained that the system was made by EA AntiCheat (EAAC). The latter was presented as “an in-house developer of anti-cheat and anti-tampering solutions in kernel mode”.
What do we know about FIFA 23’s anti-cheat system
Kernel-level anti-cheat software operates on the deepest level of a computer’s software, and is capable of monitor almost all programs running on the machine. This means that the system will detect any third-party applications that may tamper with the regular functioning of the game. FIFA is not the first title to make use of this solution, as anti-cheats of the genre have already been introduced on the games of the Call Of Duty and Valorant franchise.
The company also explained that “Kernel mode protection is absolutely vital for highly competitive video games and containing many online modes. Unfortunately, there has been a large increase in cheats and similar techniques operating in kernel mode in recent years. So the only reliable way to detect and block them is for our anti-cheat to work there too ”.
Isn’t monitoring the kernel an invasion of privacy?
In the same post, EA acknowledged the privacy concerns regarding the access EAAC will have to players’ computers. Regarding this topic, the company stated that the EAAC will not collect information on anything not related to the company’s games.
EA went on to say that it has partnered with “independent third party security and privacy experts” for ensure that EAAC respects data privacy and does not introduce vulnerabilities in terms of safety.
FIFA 23 will arrive for consoles and PC on September 30, 2022, and will be the last game in the franchise. The EA Sports FC era will begin next year.