Embark Studios shifts anti-cheat strategy toward telemetry analysis

Embark Studios is shifting its anti-cheat strategy from protecting game files to prioritizing player telemetry analysis. During a presentation at devcom, Senior Software Engineer Tom van Dijck explained that traditional methods are becoming ineffective against an increasingly sophisticated cheating industry, which he estimated to be worth $8 billion.

Van Dijck noted that cheats have evolved beyond simple downloadable programs. Modern threats include hardware-based solutions using inexpensive devices like Arduinos, artificial intelligence, and kernel-level exploits. The complexity is compounded by the fact that legitimate tools, such as streaming software and overlays, often interact with games in ways that are difficult to distinguish from malicious code. Furthermore, custom Linux kernels can make embedded cheats nearly impossible to detect.

To combat these issues in titles like ARC Raiders and THE FINALS, Embark is developing its own kernel-level security in collaboration with Vaiiya. The studio also relies heavily on massive data analysis, collecting approximately 20 billion daily events—including mouse movements and combat interactions—to identify unnatural patterns. While van Dijck acknowledged that kernel-level solutions can be invasive, he described them as a “necessary evil” to counter modern cheating methods.