Helldivers 2 Replaces GameGuard With Easy Anti-Cheat: Fix Launch Crashes and Broken Mods

You may also see the build called by another number. MP1st reported that the studio has released Helldivers 2 update 1.007.200, and this adds Easy Anti-Cheat support to the game, replacing GameGuard. That appears to be the client version string for the same October 20 release, not a separate patch.

Why Arrowhead dropped GameGuard​

Arrowhead says this directly in the FAQ of its Steam announcement. The studio says its GameGuard setup "wasn't as effective as it could have been". It describes EAC as "an industry standard used in over 200 games, and we believe this will be an effective way to protect the Galactic War and will better protect fair gameplay and the integrity of the game."

According to Arrowhead, the damage went beyond a few spoiled missions. The studio says some players bent the rules far enough to affect "pick-up rates" and even "manipulate the war itself," which in Helldivers 2 terms means interfering with the shared Galactic War that every squad contributes to. GameWatcher pointed out why that matters: given that Helldivers 2 features shared community objectives, these activities can affect players who never knowingly join a modified session.

Arrowhead says it is doing two things:

• Additional security measures aimed at cheat mods that have been circulating recently.
• Transitioning from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat on October 20, with extra security tools layered on top to improve its effectiveness.

Caveat: that explanation is Arrowhead's own. The studio gave no figures for how many players or matches were affected, and it didn't name specific cheats. KitGuru says players were taking cheat mods out of private lobbies and into public games. The official announcement doesn't put it that way, so treat that detail as KitGuru's reporting rather than something the studio stated. The "200+ games" figure is also Arrowhead's description. It isn't an independent test showing EAC beats GameGuard.

Summary: Arrowhead says its GameGuard setup wasn't stopping cheat mods that affected other players and the shared Galactic War. It hasn't published data to back that up.

Did the update really "break mods"? Partly​

The headline is half right. Arrowhead has not banned mods across the board. The studio acknowledged that mods are "part of the DNA of PC gaming" and said it genuinely appreciates cosmetic and non-gameplay mods that don't affect other players. The problem, as they framed it, is the mods that create unfair advantages or actively disrupt the experience for others.

The announcement still says two things will happen in practice:

1. Gameplay-altering mods are the target. According to Arrowhead, some of those mods may stop working after the switch.
2. Harmless cosmetic mods may break too. Arrowhead warned that some mods with no malicious intent, including cosmetic changes, will need updates to work with the new anti-cheat system.

So the accurate version is that some mods will stop working and others will need fixes from their creators. "All mods are dead" overstates it.

Arrowhead also won't tell you which mods are safe. Its FAQ says using mods is at your own discretion and that it can't judge what's safe or unsafe. Anyone who believes Easy Anti-Cheat has blocked a harmless mod can contact the team through Zendesk. The studio has not promised that any specific mod will be allowed or restored.

Some players have already pushed back. Ground News collected one report saying Arrowhead has swapped Helldivers 2 to Easy Anti-Cheat on PC, inadvertently breaking mods and sparking a review bomb. GameWatcher had noted beforehand that while some players welcome stronger restrictions, others worry that legitimate cosmetic and quality-of-life modifications could be affected.

The kernel question: one driver swapped for another​

For Windows users, the main point is that the game still installs low-level code, just a different vendor's. PC Guide notes that both are kernel-level solutions. Arrowhead hasn't stopped running privileged code on your PC. It has picked a different supplier.

People on the Steam forums have argued about this for a long time. One user summed up the cynical view: "Long story short, trading one evil for another is still evil." Others in the same thread argued that Valve's user-space VAC falls short of the alternatives.

GameGuard did have a poor reputation among PC players. AccountShark noted that GameGuard was a frequent source of complaints about performance and compatibility, so moving to a widely supported solution is the kind of change many PC players asked for long ago.

My take, based on general industry experience: EAC is better understood and more widely supported than GameGuard. It has a long Proton/Linux history and wide vendor familiarity. If you objected to kernel anti-cheat on principle, though, nothing has changed for you.

Hardware, Steam Deck and Linux: no changes, says Arrowhead​

Arrowhead's FAQ says there are no new hardware requirements. The studio gave Linux players a direct answer: "Yes, you can still play." Steam Deck and Linux compatibility remains unchanged, and the hardware requirements stay the same.

Linux players have a longer-term reason to watch EAC, though. Mixed News reports that the next Linux version of Easy Anti-Cheat, now in a Fortnite pilot, will not run on a Steam Deck, and Epic says it is talking to Valve about that. That doesn't affect Helldivers 2 today, but it could matter later.

Summary: Arrowhead says Windows, Steam Deck and Linux players need no new hardware and keep the same compatibility. That's a stated promise, not a guarantee that every setup will work.

Game won't launch after the EAC switch? Arrowhead's fix​

On October 21, Arrowhead's support desk posted a troubleshooting article for players whose game crashes or won't start after the switch. The studio says these steps have often fixed the main problems while it works on a fuller fix. The usual culprit is leftover files from old mods and from GameGuard itself.

The steps are for the Steam version. Back up any mod configurations or other files you care about before deleting anything.

Step 1: Purge leftover mod files​

• If you've ever installed mods for Helldivers 2, make sure every mod file is gone, even if you uninstalled the mods. Uninstalling isn't always enough. Use your mod manager's "Purge Mods" function if it has one.
• This also covers ReShade and OptiScaler. In \Steam\steamapps\common\Helldivers 2\bin, delete any of these files that are present:
  • dxgi.dll
  • d3d9.dll
  • d3d11.dll
  • reshade32.dll
  • reshade64.dll

Be careful here: these are injection hooks sitting in the game's own bin folder. Don't go deleting identically named files from System32.

Step 2: Remove GameGuard leftovers​

1. In Steam, right-click Helldivers 2, then choose Manage → Browse local files.
2. Open the EasyAntiCheat folder and run GGuninst.exe.
3. If GameGuard files are still in \Steam\steamapps\common\Helldivers 2\bin\GameGuard, delete the whole GameGuard folder from bin.

Step 3: Fully restart and verify​

1. Shut the PC down fully, then turn it back on. Arrowhead specifically says to power off, not just restart.
2. Open your Steam Library, right-click HELLDIVERS 2, and select Properties.
3. Go to Installed Files and click "Verify integrity of game files." Let it finish.
4. Launch the game.

Step 4: If it still fails, rebuild the core folders​

1. Right-click Helldivers 2 in Steam, then choose Manage → Browse local files.
2. Delete the bin and data folders.
3. Go back to Properties → Installed Files and run "Verify integrity of game files" again.
4. Try launching again. Expect a large re-download.

Step 5: Escalate with a memory dump​

If the game still won't launch and a crash report handler asks you to create a memory dump, open a ticket with Arrowhead Player Support and attach the dump.

What success looks like: the game launches and EAC loads without a crash. Arrowhead doesn't say every crash comes from mods or GameGuard remnants, and it doesn't promise these steps fix every launch problem.

The bottom line​

• What changed: Helldivers 2 on PC now uses Easy Anti-Cheat instead of GameGuard, plus extra security tools, as of update 7.2.0 on October 20, 2026.
• Why: Arrowhead says its GameGuard setup didn't stop cheat mods that affected other players and the Galactic War.
• Mods: cheat-style mods are the target. Some cosmetic mods may need creator updates. There's no blanket ban, and Arrowhead won't certify any mod as safe.
• Compatibility: Arrowhead says there are no new hardware requirements and no change for Steam Deck or Linux.
• If it won't launch: purge old mods, ReShade and OptiScaler DLLs, uninstall GameGuard remnants, power-cycle the PC, and verify files. Delete bin and data if that doesn't work.

Breaking mods was always going to make some players angry, and it has. Arrowhead's case is that a shared, persistent war can't work if a few players can quietly alter it for everyone. Whether EAC holds up better than GameGuard won't be clear for a few weeks. The first result you'll actually notice is whether the game starts.