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EA Sports WRC

EA SPORTS WRC to add EA anticheat on PC from v1.9.0

EA announced that EA anticheat will be added to the PC version of EA SPORTS WRC from Version 1.9.0 onward, with the update release date still to be confirmed.

featurescarsfixes

EA has announced that EA anticheat is coming to EA SPORTS WRC on PC starting with Version 1.9.0. The release date for that update has not yet been confirmed. The announcement focuses on competitive integrity, leaderboard protection, and how the anticheat will be installed and run. Full details are in the official announcement.

What changed

Features

  • EA anticheat will be added to EA SPORTS WRC from Version 1.9.0 onward.
  • If EA anticheat is not already installed, the game will attempt to install it automatically.
  • EA says it can also be installed manually, with installation and troubleshooting covered in its FAQ.
  • EA says it is moving to its in-house anticheat to allow more control over privacy protections and EA-specific customisation.
  • The announcement states that kernel-mode protection is considered necessary for highly competitive online games.

Cars

  • EA ties the change to protecting the competitive integrity of leaderboards in rally competition.
  • EA anticheat is described as an in-house kernel-mode anti-cheat and anti-tamper solution.
  • It is used on PC versions of EA SPORTS WRC.
  • It is not required on Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5, where EA says existing anti-cheat and anti-tamper protections apply.

Fixes

  • EA says full ownership of the anticheat stack lets it address security issues quickly.
  • EA says internal and independent assessments found EA anticheat to be performant and lightweight, with no discernible gameplay impact.
  • EA anticheat runs only when a protected game is running and shuts down when the game closes.
  • If all EA games using EA anticheat are uninstalled, EA anticheat will auto-uninstall; users can also remove it manually, but protected games will not be playable until it is reinstalled.

For our leagues, we should notify PC drivers ahead of v1.9.0 that anticheat will become a play requirement and add install/uninstall troubleshooting to pre-event checklists.

From the changelog

Structured change list parsed from the official notes.

features

  • {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44592176/254b3c7507e6060929a510be94107b3c739dd778.png
  • As part of our ongoing efforts to create a safe and fair experience for all players, we are adding EA anticheat to EA SPORTS™ WRC from June 2024.
  • [h3]What game versions of EA SPORTS™ WRC feature EA anticheat?[/h3]
  • EA anticheat is a part of EA SPORTS™ WRC from Version 1.9.0 onwards.
  • The release date for the Version 1.9.0 update is to be confirmed, follow our social media channels for the latest news.
  • [h3]How do I install and troubleshoot EA anticheat?[/h3]
  • EA SPORTS™ WRC will attempt to install EA anticheat if it is not on your system already.
  • You can also install EA anticheat manually, please see our installation and troubleshooting FAQ for more information.
  • [h3]Why are you moving to EA anticheat?[/h3]
  • Third party anti-cheat solutions are often opaque to our teams, and prevent us from implementing additional privacy controls or customisations that provide greater accuracy and granularity for EA-specific game modes.
  • For games that are highly competitive and contain many online modes such as EA SPORTS™ WRC, kernel-mode protection is absolutely vital.
  • When cheat programs operate in kernel space, they can make their cheat functionally invisible to anti-cheat solutions that live in user-mode.

cars

  • Rally is a competitive sport where drivers battle against the clock, the car and the world for the best times on the leaderboards.
  • Protecting the competitive integrity of our leaderboards is integral to providing a fun, fair and authentic rally experience for everyone.
  • For more information regarding EA anticheat, please see the FAQ below.
  • {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44592176/7f586d04b4139c0f1f23d3c102d88e4dad0eb08d.png
  • [h2]FAQ[/h2]
  • [h3]What is EA anticheat?[/h3]
  • EA anticheat is a kernel-mode anti-cheat and anti-tamper solution developed in-house at Electronic Arts.
  • PC cheat developers have increasingly moved into the kernel, so we need to have kernel-mode protections to ensure fair play and tackle PC cheat developers on an even playing field.
  • As tech-inclined video gamers ourselves, it is important to us to make sure that any kernel anti-cheat included in our games acts with a strong focus on the privacy and security of our gamers that use a PC.
  • [h3]What platforms is EA anticheat available on?[/h3]
  • EA anticheat is used on the PC versions of EA SPORTS™ WRC.
  • It is not required on Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 versions of the game, which are protected by existing anti-cheat and anti-tamper solutions.

fixes

  • With EA anticheat we have full stack ownership of the security & privacy posture, so we can fix security issues as soon as they may arise.
  • [h3]Why is kernel level anti-cheat needed?[/h3]
  • This varies on a game-by-game basis.
  • We’ve conducted extensive internal and independent performance and stability assessments to ensure EA anticheat is as performant and lightweight as possible.
  • EA anticheat will have no discernible impact on your gameplay.
  • [h3]Does EA anticheat run when I start my PC, or only when the game is running?[/h3]
  • EA anticheat only runs when a game with EA anticheat protection included is running.
  • All anti-cheat processes shut down when the game does.
  • [h3]Does EA anticheat stay on my PC if I uninstall EA SPORTS™ WRC? Can I uninstall it if I want?[/h3]
  • If you have uninstalled all of your EA games that have EA anticheat protection, EA anticheat will automatically uninstall and remove itself from your PC.
  • It can also be manually uninstalled by you at any time you choose and will be completely removed from your PC.
  • Please note that if you uninstall EA anticheat, any games that require EA anticheat protection will not be playable until EA anticheat is reinstalled.

Official sources

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