Explaining Helldivers 2 Anti-Cheat Issues: Why Players Don’t Like nProtect

When it was first launched, Helldivers 2 caused quite a stir with PC players because of nProtect, its anti-cheat protection. It’s one of the lesser-known anti-cheat protections, which is why players had so many problems with it at the time.

Despite Helldivers 2 being a PVE game where there’s no way for players to jump into competitive games against one another, developer Arrowhead Game Studios has opted to use anti-cheat software nProtect. There is a good reason for this, but it makes PC players wary of touching it at all and with good reason. Anti-cheat software can ruin a game because of the ways it prevents other systems from interacting with game files or working at all.

Related: 5 Helldivers 2 Trophies That Make Us Afraid to Go for The Platinum

Why Players Are Concerned About nProtect Anti-Cheat in Helldivers 2

The reason Helldivers 2 players are concerned about nProtect anti-cheat in their game is because it raises security concerns since it operates on a PC’s kernel level. This means it can access the PC’s entire hard drive, including all the files there, which is why it’s been the subject of controversy in the past.

While Arrowhead Game Studios insists it doesn’t instruct the software to look at personal user files, that doesn’t mean it can’t. PC users don’t want to put their files at risk simply because a game requires them to use it. In fact, many are opting to avoid the game and are raising awareness of how much access the software has instead of buying it.

This is a shame because those users on PS5 don’t need to worry about the software interfering with their personal data. It’s possible that the developer will opt to remove the software or use a different one in the future, but the fact that it has defended its use indicates that it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Of course, those playing Helldivers 2 on Steam Deck don’t need to worry as much since that device is purely for gaming. If players have access to one, they could choose to play only on their Steam Deck and avoid the issue entirely by only playing games without nProtect on their PC.

Why Helldivers 2 Has Anti-Cheat Software

The reason Helldivers 2 uses anti-cheat software is because Arrowhead Game Studios had many issues with cheaters in the original Helldivers. This cheating was focused on players gaining infinite Stratagems, using aimbots, and acquiring infinite ammo.

While this form of cheating didn’t harm other players as much as it would in a PvP-focused title, it did ruin the spirit of the game. Players want some level of challenge, after all, and removing it thanks to cheats simply makes for a boring experience that no one will want to play. Otherwise, it would be better to play solo and create a challenge by increasing difficulty in every mission.