Featured image: official Helldivers 2 screenshot by Arrowhead Game Studios via the Steam store page
Helldivers 2 players logged in on October 20 to a new anti-cheat system, a new warbond and a long list of weapon tweaks. Only one of those three things made the Steam review page light up. Arrowhead Game Studios dropped GameGuard in favor of Easy Anti-Cheat with patch 7.2.0, and the studio openly warned that some mods would stop working as a result. A lot of the community did not take that well.
The switch is a bigger deal than a routine backend swap. It touches modding, the shared Galactic War that every player contributes to, and even how the game behaves on Steam Deck and Linux. Here is what Arrowhead actually said, what changed in the patch, and what the review numbers look like a day later.
The short version
- What changed: Helldivers 2 moved from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) on October 20, 2026
- Patch: 7.2.0, titled “Devoid of Liberty”
- Mods: cheat mods are the target, but some harmless cosmetic mods may need updates from their authors
- Steam Deck and Linux: Arrowhead says compatibility “remains unchanged”
- Hardware: no new requirements
- Fallout: more than 1,000 negative Steam reviews in a single day
What Arrowhead announced
The studio laid out its reasoning in an announcement on Steam titled “Changing anti-cheat in HELLDIVERS 2.” The tone is formal, but the message is simple. Arrowhead says some players have bent the rules of fairness for too long, hurting not only their own matches but also the games of people who play alongside them. It also says a few have gone as far as manipulating the war itself, which breaks the unfolding story for everyone else.
Arrowhead admitted it had never commented on modding before, other than to say it could not guarantee mods would stay safe or usable. This time it went further. The studio said it appreciates cosmetic and non-gameplay mods, but wants to do a better job of protecting players from modifications that create unfair advantages or hurt other people’s experience. It called the change a “stepping stone” and listed two actions: extra security measures against recent cheat mods, and the move from GameGuard to EAC “with additional security tools in place.”
On the question of why, the FAQ is blunt. The implementation of GameGuard “wasn’t as effective as it could have been,” and Arrowhead chose a different path. It describes EAC as an industry standard used in more than 200 games.
What it means for your mods
This is where the frustration comes from. Arrowhead is not promising a clean line between good mods and bad mods. According to its FAQ, mods are used at the player’s own discretion, and the studio says it cannot determine what is safe and what is not. If EAC or another system blocks something harmless, it asks players to contact support through Zendesk.
Coverage from outlets such as PC Gamer and GamesRadar points to the heart of the argument. Some players say the gameplay mods being targeted mostly exist to work around bugs the developers have not fixed. Arrowhead sees them as unfair advantages. Both sides can have a point, which is why this is turning into such a long debate.
| Mod type | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Cheat mods that affect other players | The main target. Expect them to stop working. |
| Mods that manipulate the Galactic War | Named directly by Arrowhead as a reason for the switch. |
| Cosmetic and skin mods | Not the goal, but some may need updates from their creators. |
| Mods blocked by mistake | Report them to Arrowhead support on Zendesk. |
Steam Deck, Linux and hardware
Anti-cheat changes have a history of breaking Linux support, so this was the first question many handheld owners asked. The FAQ answers it directly: you can still play on Steam Deck and Linux, and compatibility “remains unchanged.” There are also no changes to the hardware requirements. EAC is the same Epic-owned system used in games such as Elden Ring, Fortnite and Rust, and it has also been linked with the recently released Gears of War: E-Day.
One footnote worth knowing about: Rock Paper Shotgun and GamingOnLinux both noted that Helldivers 2 is still missing from Steam in the UK, along with some other Sony-published games. The anti-cheat switch does not change that.
The review numbers
PC Gamer reported more than 1,000 negative user reviews in a single day after the announcement. That is a lot, but the game has a very large review base, so a bad day does not erase years of goodwill. Steam’s own review summary currently shows 1,172,552 total reviews, of which 881,287 are positive and 291,265 are negative, which works out to roughly 75 percent positive and a “Mostly Positive” rating.
Helldivers 2 on Steam, by the numbers
All-language Steam review totals as of October 21, 2026. Bars show the share of 1,172,552 total reviews.
The bigger risk is a lasting trend rather than a single bad day. Outlets such as FRVR have described this as yet another review bomb for the game. If the community mostly runs into false positives, the studio will have to respond. If EAC quietly removes cheaters from the Galactic War, most players may never think about it again. For a look at how another studio handled a similar clean-up, see how Riot banned 296,416 accounts with Vanguard.
What else is in patch 7.2.0
Lost in the anti-cheat argument is a fairly large update. The patch notes mention the Scope of Authority warbond, a sniper-oriented set with new weapons and camouflage armor, plus a balance pass on weapons from the Killzone and Halo legendary warbonds. Arrowhead’s reasoning is that legendary weapons cannot be customized with attachments, so they need slightly better base stats to compete.
| Weapon | Change in 7.2.0 |
|---|---|
| M90A Shotgun | Damage 605 to 726, durable damage 220 to 264 |
| MA5C Assault Rifle | Less recoil, durable damage 16 to 20 |
| StA-52 Assault Rifle | Spare magazines 6 to 7, recoil roughly halved |
| StA-11 SMG | Damage 90 to 100, ergonomics 80 to 90, less recoil |
| PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle | Reload 3.3 to 2.7 seconds, stagger strength 20 to 15 |
The Sickle variants also get a rebalance because they had fallen behind similar weapons in practicality, and the charge up and down times felt too long. On the enemy side, Arrowhead split the bug strain that spawns Bile Warriors, Spewers and Scavengers into its own strain, now controlled by the Game Masters and shown with its own visualization like Rupture or Spore Burst.
My take
I understand both sides. A shared war that thousands of people fight together falls apart if a few players can fake the results, and GameGuard clearly was not doing the job. At the same time, Arrowhead gave players very little to hold onto. Saying that mods are used at your own discretion while also banning the things that break the rules is a tough message to sell, especially to a community that often fixes problems the studio has not gotten around to.
The best thing Arrowhead can do now is move quickly on false positives and be specific about what counts as a cheat. If it does, the review dip will fade. If it does not, expect this argument to come back every time EAC blocks something harmless.
What to do if you play on PC
- Update the game: patch 7.2.0 installs EAC, so launch the game once through Steam before your next session.
- Check your mods: remove anything that changes gameplay or touches online systems, and look for updates on cosmetic ones.
- Report mistakes: if EAC blocks a harmless mod or tool, contact Arrowhead through its Zendesk support page.
- Steam Deck and Linux: no action needed according to the studio, but keep an eye on community reports.
Sources: Arrowhead on Steam (Changing anti-cheat in HELLDIVERS 2 and patch 7.2.0 notes), PC Gamer, GamesRadar, Rock Paper Shotgun, GamingOnLinux, Steam.
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