Steam now requires devs to tell players they're playing games with kernel-level anti-cheat tools

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Valve is requiring new devs to fill out an anti-cheat disclaimer and retroactively contacting devs behind existing games to do the same

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Valve has announced that it's changing anti-cheat disclaimers on Steam and making it mandatory that developers clearly state whether they're using kernel-level anti-cheat tools.

In the absolute simplest terms, a kernel-level driver is a part of a game's software that connects directly to your PC to scan for certain data or information that might indicate that you've been cheating. Basically, and I mean very basically, it's a standalone client that boots up every time you start up your PC and operates at the deepest level of your operating system's authorization to scan your actual system for cheating software instead of a game's sever. And if that sounds a little invasive, well, if you're playing games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, you've been dealing with kernel-level anti-cheat for a while now.

In an updated policy announcement, Steam says it's now requiring developers to fill out a disclaimer letting players know their games have kernel-level anti-cheat tools embedded into them. In the announcement, Valve says "if your game installs a client side, kernel mode anti-cheat, you will need to fill out this new field" that clearly displays a message on the game's storefront reading: "Uses Kernel Level Anti-Cheat." Valve also says it'll be "going through old games and contacting partners with games that fall into this category."

The announcement also clarifies that, so long as your game's anti-cheat tool is only server based, the new field is optional.

Whether you're a fan of kernel-level anti-cheat or not, it's hard to think of a downside to this change. This sort of thing already exists on the software side, but if you've played an online game in the last 10 years or so, you know how many disclaimers you have to click through just to get to playing the game, so having this messaging platform-side should help raise awareness about what exactly players are installing and authorizing when playing games.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.