Meet Javelin: Battlefield 6's controversial anti-cheat tool that raises many players' eyebrows

Despite past issues with the series, fans of Battlefield 6 are confident in the fun and success of EA’s upcoming first-person shooter, but one thing is hanging over the whole experience like a dark cloud: EA’s anti-cheat software, Javelin. Introduced in 2022 for Battlefield 2042, Javelin is a kernel-level software, which means it has full access to nearly everything in your computer. BF6 will be the first time an EA game launches with an anti-cheat program that has this level of access. How much privacy are players willing to sacrifice in the name of security?

Players express concerns over Battlefield 6’s kernel-level anti-cheat software, Javelin

There is no avoiding the need for anti-cheat software, unfortunately. Users on Reddit have shared their terrible experiences in previous Battlefield games when cheaters are allowed to run rampant. One player wrote about the experience of introducing EA’s anti-cheat to Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 5, saying, “…it cut down the rampant hacking those games heavily suffered from to minimal levels. On the forums where cheaters hangout they’ve acknowledged it’s a lost cause, kernel-level [anti-cheat] is going to be the norm for competitive online games moving forward…” When a software has such unlimited access to the entire operating system, there’s not much anyone can currently do to get around it. This is great for stopping hacking and cheating, but there have already been problems reported with this software as recently as two months ago.

Earlier this year, BF2042 players found themselves locked out of the game due to issues with Secure Boot, which must also be enabled to play Battlefield 6. If you want to make sure your computer is prepared for this weekend’s upcoming BF6 Open Beta, we have a guide on how to make sure you have Secure Boot enabled. As one user explained on Reddit, “…it’s not just about security on games, it’s your files, drivers, and even operating system. One mistake can lead to potential issues that prevent your access to your files.” When software has access to so much, it seems it makes it easier for something to go wrong in unexpected ways.

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Another downside of Javelin is that it is likely incompatible with Linux, as EA’s anti-cheat software is known to be. EA’s executive vice president and CEO of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, told PCGamesN in a recent interview: “It does not work on Steam Deck…” and added, regarding other handheld devices, “…it’s probably not the best way to play the game.” While Zampella did not get specific about why, it’s likely that this anti-cheat is the culprit.

Despite all the concerns, this is not an entirely unusual software for a competitive multiplayer game to utilize. Other competitive shooters like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Valorant, and others all use similar anti-cheat software. From the developer’s perspective, it also isn’t going away anytime soon. Zampella recently spoke to Gaming World Media about anti-cheat, saying: “It’s something that we would stamp out completely if we could, it’s just an arms race. To the day we die, we will be fighting it.” But just because other games use it doesn’t make this a question not worth considering.

Ultimately, we will have to wait to see how fans react to the open beta this weekend. After all, that is what open betas are for. Early Access starts on August 7th, and everyone else gains access on the 9th.

Battlefield 6

October 10, 2025

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• EA / Electronic Arts
• Battlefield (franchise)
• cheats / bans