Arrowhead Game Studios may be preparing to make a major change to Helldivers 2 following increasing backlash from its community. CEO Shams Jorjani has acknowledged the growing concerns surrounding the game’s GameGuard anti-cheat system, suggesting that its removal is now on the table.
Since the release of the latest update, Into the Unjust, the co-op shooter has faced numerous technical hurdles, from severe performance drops and optimization issues to increasing file sizes that frustrated PC players. These problems, coupled with the controversial kernel-level anti-cheat tool, have placed Arrowhead in a difficult position.
The outcry became so intense that Game Director Mikael Eriksson published a State of the Game video, promising transparency and outlining a roadmap to stabilize the title. According to him, the team would be slowing down its content release schedule to prioritize performance fixes and player experience improvements.
⚙️ Helldivers 2’s Anti-Cheat May Be Removed Soon
In a recent message on the official Helldivers 2 Discord server, Shams Jorjani addressed a fan’s question about potential alternatives to GameGuard. He confirmed that while the next major patch is the current focus, the team is planning to “tackle this other hydra head” shortly after.
This statement marks a notable shift in tone — just weeks ago, Arrowhead defended the use of GameGuard, claiming it wasn’t causing major performance issues. However, internal discussions seem to have changed direction, with the community’s overwhelming feedback clearly influencing the decision.
Removing GameGuard entirely could prove complex due to its integration with the game’s architecture. Nevertheless, the idea of its removal has been widely welcomed by the Helldivers community, many of whom felt the software was intrusive and caused compatibility problems with accessibility features.
🔍 Community Reaction and Industry Context
The anti-cheat debate is nothing new in the gaming world. Many titles — from Call of Duty with Ricochet to Valorant with Vanguard — have faced similar pushback for their aggressive anti-tamper systems. Players often express concerns that these programs are too invasive, run at a kernel level, and negatively impact system performance.
Several major publishers have already chosen to remove or replace intrusive anti-cheat systems post-launch after player feedback. Helldivers 2 now appears to be following that same path, prioritizing transparency and player trust over strict security enforcement.
Arrowhead’s leadership has made it clear that they want to rebuild player confidence, especially after recent controversies. The studio’s willingness to reevaluate GameGuard shows a commitment to listening to community feedback and maintaining long-term goodwill.
While it’s uncertain when or if GameGuard will officially be removed, the acknowledgment alone is a major turning point for Helldivers 2. For a live-service game that thrives on cooperation and teamwork, maintaining a strong relationship with its player base might prove even more important than any patch or feature.
