Competitive gaming is a growing industry built on giving skilled players a platform to overcome challenges and rise above the rest.

Sadly, even competitive games can be tainted by cheating. You see, competitive games run on intricate code that can be tampered with when done right.

Thankfully, most competitive games have anti-cheat software that prevents tampering. To this end, here are some of the best anti-cheat software that keep things fair.

1. Easy Anti-Cheat

Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) is a commonly implemented, non-invasive software that tries its best to prevent attacks on any game it is linked to.

EAC is an Epic Games service and is popularly associated with its games. The software is typically installed with any game it is associated with. Also, these games only run once the software is live. EAC protects Fortnite, which is free to play on most devices.

Other popular titles include Apex Legends, Paladins, Rust, and The Division 2.

Easy Anti-Cheat is recognizable by its blue color theme and bear motif. It works by scanning your computer for invasive software that could target the game protected by EAC.

Systems found with shady software are flagged, and the game will not launch until whatever file triggering the anti-cheat is removed. Easy Anti-Cheat is comfortable to implement but can be circumvented. Games that run it are still known to have cheater problems.

A big example of this is the daunting cheater saturation in Apex Legends. Hackers in Apex are unmoved by Easy Anti-Cheat and remain a problem to date.

On the other hand, Fortnite seems to be doing just fine with only Easy Anti-Cheat and is just as competitive as Apex Legends.

2. BattlEye

BattlEye takes a more invasive approach to the cheating problem. A Kernel-based anti-cheat system routinely checks a player’s PC for cheats.

BattlEye runs regular scans, even while you are playing the games you love. The intricate routines aim to catch any shady attempts at a game’s files. When an account is caught cheating, the game can be programmed to shut them down completely. This system is especially effective in pay-to-play games.

BattlEye runs on games like Rainbow Six Siege. As such, understanding how the anti-cheat system works is one of many essential tips for Siege beginners.

BattlEye is fully customizable and can be configured to fit any game. As such, it runs on many unrelated titles.

For instance, it protects shooters like Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds and RPGs like Conan Exiles. BattlEye can also be configured to ban a player’s Steam ID, making it as effective as a Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) ban.

Sadly, BattlEye-associated games are also known to have cheater problems. Games like PUBG and R6 Siege are cheater heavy.

Thankfully, the constantly evolving nature of the anti-cheat keeps hackers on their toes.

3. PunkBuster

PunkBuster is a storied name in the anti-cheat business. The software has existed in some form for over 15 years.

Its primary goal is to eliminate cheating in online games. To this end, Even Balance Inc. has worked with popular game titles to make this dream a reality. As such, PunkBuster has experienced and countered creative forms of cheating. The anti-cheat software can be installed directly on your system and works with many game engines.

Full integration into old competitive titles like Battlefield Hardline is another good reason to dust off your old consoles and relive the good times.

PunkBuster isn’t just general-purpose software, either. The company has done game-specific research and has integrated countermeasures for popular cheats in your favorite titles. Some examples are Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Warhammer Online, and Assassin's Creed 3.

Download: Punkbuster (Free)

4. Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC)

If you've ever tried to install Steam on your PC, you probably know that it started as a platform for Valve to keep its games up to date. Since then, it has become much more and houses hundreds of games from various developers. VAC was Valve’s solution to maintaining fair play in its games. The system is notorious for keeping CS: GO safe and secure.

VAC is constantly updated, and bans issued by the system are permanent. Accounts issued a VAC ban can never be retrieved. Also, professionals owning such accounts cannot compete in Valve-sanctioned events.

The fear of losing a possible career in CS: GO without getting a chance keeps most cheaters in line.

Thankfully, Valve Anti-Cheat also benefits other games on the Steam platform. So much so that the fear of VAC is almost as effective as the system itself.

VAC-protected servers exist in most games that run the source engine. This means that VAC protects CSGO, counterstrike source, Team Fortress 2, and Half-Life.

VAC-issued bans extend to all accounts tied to your chosen phone number. As such, banned users have limited interaction with the Steam app and can usually only play single-player titles.

Despite this, cheating still exists in competitive CS: GO. The VAC protocol is stringent but not infallible. Since rare, cheating scandals usually make the headlines when discovered in high-level Counter-Strike.

5. Riot Vanguard

Competitive integrity is paramount in most tactical shooters. Riot recognized this and designed Vanguard specifically to prevent cheating in Valorant.

Vanguard is a very effective kernel-level anti-cheat that detects game file exploits as they happen. It operates at the deepest level of your computer and typically doesn’t miss any shady executables.

This anti-cheat software is a live service that will ban detected cheaters even during a game. Other players are notified when this happens.

Vanguard’s success thus far has questioned how evasive anti-cheat software should be to work effectively. Some users would prefer something else to the Kernel-level access Vanguard has.

Valorant will not launch without Vanguard, and the app often runs idly in the background. Riot deems this necessary, however. This is because tactical shooters are especially prone to significant cheating problems.

Vanguard is completely safe and does not tamper with the files on your computer. Its sole purpose is to preserve competitive integrity in Valorant.

It is worth noting that Vanguard may stop Valorant from launching if it detects suspicious activity on your system.

6. Ricochet

Battle Royales are a recent, exciting addition to the competitive shooter genre. Most Battle Royale titles are free to play and open players up to new, challenging experiences.

Sadly, this free-to-play model encourages mass cheating. Cheaters will mess with the game and create a new account when an old one gets banned.

It was bad for games like Warzone, which didn’t have an anti-cheat until recently. The developers implemented Ricochet to remedy the mass cheating problem in Warzone.

Ricochet also features a Kernel-level driver, like Vanguard. Cheating isn’t as widespread in Warzone, Modern Warfare 2, and Vanguard since the anti-cheat software launched.

The developers have also clearly stated that this is just the beginning. The anti-cheat software receives regular updates whenever new potential exploits are reported. With Ricochet, preemptive measures can be taken to preserve fair play in its associated Call of Duty Titles.

Preserving Competitive Integrity, One Anti-Cheat at a Time

This list of anti-cheat software has glossed over the core concepts that help preserve fair play. Evidently, games will continue to evolve, growing more exciting in the future.

As such, the anti-cheat software that protect these titles also need to evolve to continue to tackle the cheating problem. Hopefully, we will ultimately come to a point where cheating is no longer an issue, making it easier for anyone to start a professional gaming career.