HELLDIVERS 2 Easy Anti-Cheat Switch: Mods, Linux and Requirements

Arrowhead changed the PC anti-cheat used by HELLDIVERS™ 2 from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat on October 20, 2026. Its official announcement says the switch arrived with additional measures aimed at cheat modifications that can affect other players and even the shared Galactic War. This is a live security change, not a new weapon or a player-controlled difficulty option. The most practical questions are whether a cosmetic mod still works, whether PC requirements changed, and what the developer says about Steam Deck and Linux.

What Arrowhead changed and why

The studio says its GameGuard implementation had not protected fair play as effectively as it wanted. Easy Anti-Cheat replaces it, accompanied by other security tools. The announcement distinguishes between creativity in non-gameplay cosmetic modifications and changes that give an unfair advantage or harm other players. It does not publish a whitelist that makes every cosmetic mod safe. A player should avoid assuming that a mod is permitted simply because it changes appearance rather than damage.

What to do if a mod stops working

Arrowhead warns that some modifications may no longer function after the transition. Even non-malicious cosmetic mods may need updates from their creators. First check whether the base game launches and plays without a mod; then review the mod creator's current support notice. If you think the anti-cheat blocks harmless software, the studio asks players to contact its official Zendesk support. Do not disable anti-cheat or seek a bypass based on an unofficial forum instruction; the developer's message is that the integrity controls are part of normal online play.

Hardware and Steam Deck questions

The FAQ in Arrowhead's October 20 post says the anti-cheat transition imposes no new hardware requirements. It also says Steam Deck and Linux compatibility remain unchanged. That is narrower than a promise of flawless performance or an official new platform certification. If you have a specific launch error, use the current game and EAC support channels with the error details; do not conclude from the general FAQ that every individual setup is guaranteed to work.

What players should check now

Update the game normally, test without modifications if something fails, and keep a record of the exact error before contacting support. For the game's mission loop and published PC minimum, see HELLDIVERS™ 2 on YouxiSky. This guide summarizes Arrowhead's announcement and does not claim we tested a particular mod or Linux device.

Official source: Arrowhead's Steam anti-cheat announcement, published October 20, 2026. Checked October 27, 2026.