Denuvo Anti-Cheat hit ARC Raiders on May 19, deployed first to a limited player pool. Embark Studios confirmed the rollout in a brief statement, noting it has no plans to use Denuvo's DRM service. The focus is detection without performance hits.
Following a positive rollout in THE FINALS, Denuvo Anti-Cheat will also come to ARC Raiders starting May 19th, initially to a limited player pool, with plans to expand after close monitoring. We will not be using Denuvo's Digital Rights Management (DRM) service, and are working to ensure minimal impact on performance.
Embark Studios
The signal we care about is intent.
Embark Studios
The addition comes after months of complaints about cheating. Streamers and regular raiders alike have pointed to aimbots and wallhacks as a primary reason for the declining top-side population. The studio had acknowledged the issue in a May 7 blog post detailing its anti-cheat approach.
That earlier post revealed a multi-layered stack: kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat, machine learning models trained on input telemetry, and a research partnership with Anybrain to differentiate legitimate accessibility devices from cheating tools. Embark also said it was testing a new kernel-level solution - a layer beyond Easy Anti-Cheat - that would sharpen detection in Speranza and the Rust Belt.
"The signal we care about is intent," the studio wrote, explaining that analyzing player input patterns helps identify cheats even when the software is well-hidden.
The Denuvo integration adds another kernel-level layer. Its detection capabilities include aimbots and wallhacks, areas where previous systems had drawn criticism for being slow to catch up. Embark is rolling it out slowly, a cautious approach that matches the tone of its earlier anti-cheat communication.
Behind the scenes, the anti-cheat team has been busy beyond just software. A February incident involving an exploit in the in-game economy led to warnings, Coin removal, and suspensions. The team took weeks to validate reports, a process that Embark called the first time they'd handled an exploit at that scale in ARC Raiders. That same manual touch applies to ban appeals. Every appeal is reviewed by a person, not an algorithm.
Community reaction to the Denuvo news is tentatively positive. After seeing patch 1.29 deliver weapon durability changes and a new trader, raiders on the BBS noted that the anti-cheat addition was another box ticked. One top post called it "finally going after the cheaters." The real test will be in the game, where encounters with a suspicious Sentinel or a too-precise Hornet have soured too many extractions. For now, the stack is deeper, and the studio is watching.
Anti-Cheat Efforts in ARC RaidersMAY 20, 2026
Denuvo Arrives in ARC Raiders as Anti-Cheat Fight Intensifies
Denuvo Anti-Cheat hit ARC Raiders on May 19, deployed first to a limited player pool. Embark Studios confirmed the rollout in a brief statement, noting it has no plans to use Denuvo's DRM service. The focus is detection without performance hits.
Following a positive rollout in THE FINALS, Denuvo Anti-Cheat will also come to ARC Raiders starting May 19th, initially to a limited player pool, with plans to expand after close monitoring. We will not be using Denuvo's Digital Rights Management (DRM) service, and are working to ensure minimal impact on performance.
Embark Studios
The signal we care about is intent.
Embark Studios
The addition comes after months of complaints about cheating. Streamers and regular raiders alike have pointed to aimbots and wallhacks as a primary reason for the declining top-side population. The studio had acknowledged the issue in a May 7 blog post detailing its anti-cheat approach.
That earlier post revealed a multi-layered stack: kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat, machine learning models trained on input telemetry, and a research partnership with Anybrain to differentiate legitimate accessibility devices from cheating tools. Embark also said it was testing a new kernel-level solution - a layer beyond Easy Anti-Cheat - that would sharpen detection in Speranza and the Rust Belt.
"The signal we care about is intent," the studio wrote, explaining that analyzing player input patterns helps identify cheats even when the software is well-hidden.
The Denuvo integration adds another kernel-level layer. Its detection capabilities include aimbots and wallhacks, areas where previous systems had drawn criticism for being slow to catch up. Embark is rolling it out slowly, a cautious approach that matches the tone of its earlier anti-cheat communication.
Behind the scenes, the anti-cheat team has been busy beyond just software. A February incident involving an exploit in the in-game economy led to warnings, Coin removal, and suspensions. The team took weeks to validate reports, a process that Embark called the first time they'd handled an exploit at that scale in ARC Raiders. That same manual touch applies to ban appeals. Every appeal is reviewed by a person, not an algorithm.
Community reaction to the Denuvo news is tentatively positive. After seeing patch 1.29 deliver weapon durability changes and a new trader, raiders on the BBS noted that the anti-cheat addition was another box ticked. One top post called it "finally going after the cheaters." The real test will be in the game, where encounters with a suspicious Sentinel or a too-precise Hornet have soured too many extractions. For now, the stack is deeper, and the studio is watching.
