Developer miHoYo released their ARPG Genshin Impact yesterday, and while many fans are enjoying themselves with the game – many PC users noticed an odd anti-cheat program running while the game is running. The problem: the software keeps running even after closing or uninstalling the game.
The “anti-cheat” software drew quite a lot of flack, with many players refusing to even play the game on Windows PC out of fear from what the software was actually scanning on their machines. Developer miHoYo responded to this quickly, and are addressing the software in an update set to be released today.
The anti-cheat software will “no longer run in the background after the game is closed nor after the game is uninstalled”. Developer miHoYo said the change is coming after they “realized that the default activation of this mechanism may have caused some privacy concerns for players.”
Despite the concern with these sorts of software, miHoYo said it “does not process, save, or upload information in any way whatsoever.” The software was implemented to “prevent the use of certain external plug-ins that operate when the game is closed; this is to help protect the fairness of Genshin Impact for all players.”
Anti-cheat DRM is used frequently with competitive games, despite the flak it usually receives. In the case of Genshin Impact, however, the game has no competitive mode – it’s a co-op action RPG at most. The anti-cheat software is likely used to prevent users from getting an edge on its free-to-play gacha mechanics, which are basically the loot boxes of Asia.
Genshin Impact is now available for Windows PC (via their website), PlayStation 4, and both iOS (App Store), and Android (Google Play). A Nintendo Switch version is planned, but has no release window currently.