Does XDefiant have an anti-cheat? BattlEye anti-cheat explained

Jeremy Gan
XDefiant game play image

XDefiant is well into its Preseason after its May 21 release, but before jumping into the servers, you may be wondering if the game has an anti-cheat, and what is it? Continue reading for all the details.

Despite being a relatively new game, XDefiant is already dealing with cheaters, as is the norm for online multiplayer games with bad actors who want to gain an unfair advantage. 

Naturally, the devs have already implemented an anti-cheat to prevent hackers from ruining the player experience. So here is everything you need to know about XDefiant’s anti-cheat. 

Does XDefiant have anti-cheat?

XDefiant has an anti-cheat. The anti-cheat was already brought into the game during its Server Test Sessions and has been a feature ever since.

XDefiant uses the BattlEye anti-cheat, as noted by XDefiant’s FAQ. Games such as Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, DayZ, and Destiny 2 all use the anti-cheat. 

However, XDefiant’s devs generally do not talk about it, as explained by their executive producer Mark Rubin, they don’t want to give any info to would-be hackers on how their system works. 

“If people didn’t cheat we’d have more devs available to work on making the game even better. But cheaters don’t want good games,” Rubin said in response to a player’s question.

“But to answer your question, we try not to talk about our anti-cheat to avoid leaking info. So unfortunately it’s one topic that I try not to be too transparent about.” 

What is BattlEye? XDefiant’s anti-cheat explained

BattlEye is an anti-cheat software by a company sharing the same name. It’s designed to be used in online games to detect players abusing hacks or exploits. 

Ubisoft already uses BattlEye for Rainbow Six Siege, Watch Dogs: Legion, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Skull and Bones, and more as an anti-cheat, and has decided to once again use it for XDefiant. 

According to BattlEye’s about page, the anti-cheat was originally made as a third-party anti-cheat for Battlefield Vietnam and subsequent Battlefield games but went on to be integrated into many other FPS titles.