When people say a game is “easy to cheat in” or “uncheatable,” they’re almost always talking about the anti-cheat, not the game itself. In 2026 four systems run the market: Riot Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye and FACEIT Anti-Cheat. All four operate at the kernel level, but they behave very differently. Here’s how they compare and what it means in practice.
What “kernel level” means
Modern anti-cheats load as a driver (ring 0) — the same privilege level as the Windows kernel. That gives them maximum visibility: processes, drivers, game-memory access and suspicious handles. Two consequences follow — detection got smarter, and internal cheats became riskier than external solutions and DMA. The basics on cheat types are in our guide on how cheats work.
Riot Vanguard (Valorant, LoL)
The strictest of the mainstream lot. Vanguard loads with the system at boot and runs constantly, not just in-game. It’s harsh on vulnerable drivers and non-standard environments. That’s exactly why proven private solutions with support matter for Valorant — see what’s working in the Valorant cheats guide.
Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC)
The most widespread: Fortnite, Rust, Apex, Arena Breakout, ARC Raiders and dozens more. EAC moved away from “ban by signature” long ago toward behavioral analysis and aggressive HWID blocking — a ban hits not just the account but the hardware. So for EAC titles an HWID spoofer is mandatory hygiene. Details — in the EAC guide and the spoofer comparison.
BattlEye (PUBG, R6 Siege, DayZ, EFT)
Kernel-level too, with a focus on runtime memory scans and batched ban waves: data accumulates, then a mass sweep lands. For BattlEye titles it’s critical to use private software adapted to the current build. More — in the BattlEye guide.
FACEIT Anti-Cheat (CS2)
A separate case: FACEIT is a third-party platform on top of CS2 with the strictest client-side anti-cheat in shooters. What passes in regular VAC matchmaking almost certainly won’t on FACEIT. If you play on FACEIT, the demands on your software and discipline are a whole different level — see the CS2 cheats guide.
What it means for choosing software
- The stricter the anti-cheat, the more a supported private build matters. Public and free loaders get cut first in any wave.
- EAC/BattlEye = a spoofer is mandatory. Without it a new account gets banned on the same hardware.
- Vanguard and FACEIT = maximum caution. A constantly-running driver and a strict client scan don’t forgive “public” solutions.
- Cheat type beats game brand. Against a kernel anti-cheat, external and DMA solutions are statistically safer than internal.
Current per-game status is in the IVSOFTE cheat catalog.
This is an overview. Anti-cheat behavior changes with every update — before you buy and before you launch the game, check the current status of the specific product.
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