Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Helldivers 2is one of the hottest games of 2024 so far. The co-op shooter has well exceeded expectations for both Sony and developer Arrowhead Game Studios, with incredible sales, player counts, reviews, and public perception.
That doesn’t go to prove that the game doesn’t have its faults, though, andHelldivers 2has a big one, namely in the anti-cheat software Arrowhead has opted to use, which has affected accessibility for disabled players. Fortunately, a fix will be on the way as per the game’s director.
Anti-cheat Restricts Assistive Systems For Disabled Players
Helldivers 2uses a system called nProtect GameGuard to mitigate cheaters on PC. The anti-cheat software is made by a South Korean company named INCA, who also handle security for 70% of the stock market and 90% of online games in Korea.
Reliably secure it may seem, but there’s a snag with GameGuard. The software works at kernel level, which means it has access to your PC’s core systems. This level of deep-rooted functionality understandably makes some players feel uneasy, but throws up afar bigger problemforHelldivers 2players who are disabled.
“We’re killing our own people!”: Helldivers 2 Clues Right in Front of Our Eyes Point to a Disturbing Reality in Our Fight Against the Automatons
Steven Spohn, director of charity organization AbleGamers that helps gamers with disabilities, said he was “very disheartened” withHelldivers 2in a recenttweet.As it turns out, he needs special assistive programs to play games, and nProtect GameGuard flagged them as cheats when he tried to boot upHelldivers, rendering him unable to play the game.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Games likeEscape from TarkovandFortnitesometimes make the mistake of thinking helper programs are cheats, but things are way trickier with nProtect GameGuard. Due to the nature of kernel-level functioning, cheaters canspooftheir software as helper programs and bypass the anti-cheat.
Helldivers 2Director Johan Pilestedt Responds
Arrowhead CEO and game director Jonathan Pilestedt responded to Spohn’s tweet, acknowledging the issue and pledging to look into it.
I will look into this. But I need to know what software you use. Also@ArrowheadGSand@helldivers
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt)August 17, 2025
“You can do it if you’re a true Helldiver”: Helldivers 2 CEO Has Had Enough of Players Bullying and Kicking Others in the Fight for Democracy
The issue is quite serious, as accessibility is a big focus for games these days, andHelldivers 2locking out disabled players who need assistive technology to play does not fare well for its optics and reach. Arrowhead can’t ignore these concerns.
Thankfully, they seem to beon it, and judging by how Pilestedt asks Spohn to specify the software he uses, there may be a fix for that revolves around whitelisting certain programs in the nProtect GameGuard library.
Helldivers 2 Doesn’t Even Need to Create a Live Action Movie From Scratch if a $121M Franchise Partners up With Them (With a Few Changes of Course)
It remains to be seen how they train GameGuard to tell the difference between real cheats and the tools players with disabilities depend on, but we hope the issue is mended as soon as possible. After all, no one should be excluded from spreading democracy.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Content Writer
Articles Published :247
A lifelong gamer, lover of cars, and Master’s student of Automotive Journalism, Viraaj Bhatnagar is a gaming writer at FandomWire who aims to be one of the greats. When he’s not hunched over on his laptop typing out copy, he can be found lapping circuits in Gran Turismo or slaying draugr in God of War.
