Anti-cheat, explained
Every game we cover runs an anti-cheat, and they are not interchangeable. Some load a driver before Windows finishes booting, some ban in waves weeks after a detection, some lean on player reports and replays. These pages explain each system in plain terms: who makes it, which games use it, what it looks at on your PC and how its bans work.
Gaming knowledge
All gaming knowledgeHow Does Anti-Cheat Detect Cheats? Every Layer Explained
Anti-cheat finds cheats in layers: signatures, game integrity, system scans, hardware checks, server statistics and player reports. How each layer works.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is a Ban Wave? Why Games Ban Cheaters in Batches
A ban wave is when a game bans many flagged accounts at once instead of one at a time. Why developers delay bans, what a wave means for you and what to do.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is BattlEye? How the BattlEye Anti-Cheat Works
BattlEye is the kernel-level anti-cheat behind Escape From Tarkov, DayZ and PUBG. Where it came from, how it works, its common errors and how its bans work.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC)? How It Works
Easy Anti-Cheat is Epic's kernel-level anti-cheat used by Rust, Apex Legends, Fortnite and more. How EAC works, what its errors mean and how its bans work.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat? How It Works and Why
Kernel-level anti-cheat runs as a Windows driver with deep system access. What kernel level means, which games use it, what it can see and the trade-offs.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is Riot Vanguard? How Vanguard Anti-Cheat Works
Riot Vanguard is the kernel-level anti-cheat behind Valorant and League of Legends. Why it starts with Windows, what it needs and how to uninstall it.
Updated 6 October 2026 Anti-cheatWhat Is VAC? Valve Anti-Cheat and VAC Bans Explained
VAC is Valve Anti-Cheat, used by Counter-Strike 2 and Deadlock. How VAC works, what VAC Live does, why VAC bans are delayed and what a VAC ban means.
Updated 6 October 2026 
Counter-Strike 2
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