Psyonix, the developer of Rocket League, has announced the addition of Easy Anti-Cheat to the game during Season 22 in April. The update aims to improve detection of cheaters and bots while maintaining support for Linux users via Proton. Players can toggle the anti-cheat system on or off, allowing mods in offline modes without penalties.
Rocket League, developed by Psyonix and owned by Epic Games, will introduce Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) on the Epic Games Store and Steam platforms during Season 22, starting in April. The current Season 21 is set to end on March 11, though no exact implementation date has been specified beyond April.
The primary goal of EAC is to enhance real-time detection and banning of cheaters, alongside additional bot detection methods and DDoS attack prevention, as stated by Psyonix. In their official announcement on Reddit, a Psyonix developer explained: "Adding Easy Anti-Cheat elevates our ability to detect and ban cheaters in real time, and is part of a broader effort that includes additional bot detection methods, and DDoS attack prevention."
PC players will have the option to launch the game with EAC enabled or disabled, requiring it to be on for online matches, private matches, and tournaments. Mods will not function when EAC is enabled, but turning it off allows use in offline matches, training, LAN matches, and replay viewing with custom tools. Community content like Steam Workshop maps remains playable either way, though mods on top require EAC off. Restarting the game is needed to toggle the setting.
Psyonix emphasized continued support for Linux operating systems, including Steam Deck via SteamOS, using Proton—the compatibility layer from Valve. This follows the game's official Linux support drop in 2020, after which Proton has enabled play of the Windows version. The developer confirmed: "We know some of you love to play on Steam Deck and on Linux operating systems through apps like Proton, and this will still be supported with Easy Anti-Cheat on."
To address modding concerns, Psyonix plans case-by-case exceptions for tournament organizers to play online with EAC off for custom graphics and controls. They are also integrating popular mod features directly into the game, such as in-game MMR display (inspired by the IngameRank mod with over 2 million downloads), custom training options, and a flip reset indicator. Attempting to load mods like BakkesMod with EAC on will result in an error message without bans.
Psyonix invited further questions and feedback ahead of more Season 22 details next month.
