(source) nProtect Gameguard is an anti-cheat root toolkit developed by INCA Internet. GameGuard hides the game application process, monitors the entire memory range, terminates applications defined by the game vendor and INCA Internet to be cheats (QIP for example), blocks certain calls to Direct X functions and Windows APIs, keylogs your keyboard input, and auto-updates itself to change as new possible threats surface. It's known to cause pc instability which includes common BSoDs, deletion of harmless files and drivers, such as one for gaming keyboards/mice(example: Logitech G510 and G710+), anti-virus and firewall programs.
nProtect GameGuard is not like other anticheat programs out there. If you decide to remove the game, Gameguard will stay in your system as there is no uninstall feature.
Also an informative thread on Reddit (archived) is worth a read. Giant risk.
Some of the .dlls will be removed with the game but some will be hidden in your system. You have to manually uninstall them which includes editing the registry. Being there is in fact .exe files left in your system it can run when INCA decides to and it can still scan your system memory and keystrokes.
Not that this diminishes a lot of security concerns though. I'm just highlighting it because some people might jump to thinking that their computers are permanently infected after just one run, which isn't likely to be the case.
That could become a potential risk if a person keeps playing the game anyway and the software ends up being compromised (or used as an attack vector by a third party).
So just stop playing such games if you already have, remove the game and thoroughly clean out the anticheat software, and just avoid such games in the future. That should be sufficient for most people.
Oh, and there is still some possibility that there was at least a little bit of network/system snooping that's been shared to who knows where. A fairly legitimate privacy concern, though I'm not sure how much depth that data collection goes and whether or not most of the concern is during the game's runtime (keystroke-wise in particular).
Unless you only want to play with friends then your choice for multiplayer is 1) cheaters and game is total shit or 2) some method to limit cheating.
The easy solution to rootkits is only use your PC for gaming. Then you get to play without cheaters and there's no worries about them spying on you.
I don't have any problem with rootkits - dual boot to play multiplayer games or use a separate PC - for me the only problem is transparency They have to tell you it's got one. In fact I'd rather Team Fortress 2 had a rootkit; I'd like to play it from time to time, but it's total shit being full of bots. Dual boot to play TF2 with no cheaters? Sign me up.
Rootkits as anti-cheating measures really need to be the death knell of a game. It's utterly unacceptable.
Reject malware.
Return to hosted games.
That shit is why I won't play helldivers.
I haven't looked into that one yet. What does it install?
nProtect GameGuard
Also an informative thread on Reddit (archived) is worth a read. Giant risk.
You missed another important bit from that post:
Not that this diminishes a lot of security concerns though. I'm just highlighting it because some people might jump to thinking that their computers are permanently infected after just one run, which isn't likely to be the case.
That could become a potential risk if a person keeps playing the game anyway and the software ends up being compromised (or used as an attack vector by a third party).
So just stop playing such games if you already have, remove the game and thoroughly clean out the anticheat software, and just avoid such games in the future. That should be sufficient for most people.
Oh, and there is still some possibility that there was at least a little bit of network/system snooping that's been shared to who knows where. A fairly legitimate privacy concern, though I'm not sure how much depth that data collection goes and whether or not most of the concern is during the game's runtime (keystroke-wise in particular).
Same, which is a shame because it seems like a real good time.
Unless you only want to play with friends then your choice for multiplayer is 1) cheaters and game is total shit or 2) some method to limit cheating.
The easy solution to rootkits is only use your PC for gaming. Then you get to play without cheaters and there's no worries about them spying on you.
I don't have any problem with rootkits - dual boot to play multiplayer games or use a separate PC - for me the only problem is transparency They have to tell you it's got one. In fact I'd rather Team Fortress 2 had a rootkit; I'd like to play it from time to time, but it's total shit being full of bots. Dual boot to play TF2 with no cheaters? Sign me up.
Your conditions are acceptable. I only want to play with friends.
Then you have nothing to complain about. Don't buy internet multiplayer games.
Couch multiplayer has always been the best multiplayer.
Fight me.
UT2004 multiplayer was so much fun. That kind of game is not possible these days without a way to prevent cheaters.
LAN party is couch co-op for PC. You keep someone from cheating by walking over and punching the guy who's doing it.