On 29 September, the anti-cheat that has guarded Apex Legends on PC since launch is being switched off and replaced. If you play on PC, the change happens to you automatically — but there is a list of ordinary, legitimate software that the new system refuses to run alongside, and that list is where most of the trouble is going to come from.
Here is what EA has actually published, and what it has not.
Quick answer
- The date is fixed. EA says the switch is “Effective September 29th, 2026”.
- Easy Anti-Cheat is being retired for Apex and replaced with EA’s own Javelin system.
- You do not have to install anything by hand — you get a game update and are migrated automatically.
- Secure Boot is not required for Apex, even though Javelin needs it on other EA games.
- The real risk is EA’s denylist — RGB utilities, monitoring tools and remapping software can block your game.
- Consoles are unaffected by this change.
What EA Announced
The announcement is short and unambiguous. EA states that “Effective September 29th, 2026, Apex Legends will be switching its PC anticheat system to EA Javelin Anticheat.”
The system being replaced is Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat, and EA names it directly on the way out: “We extend our deepest gratitudes to the Easy Anti Cheat team at Epic Games for a long and fruitful partnership.”
The reasoning EA gives is about control rather than raw detection power — “Moving to EA Javelin Anticheat will give our anticheat teams greater visibility into emerging threats and more flexibility to develop and improve detections as cheating evolves.”
As for what Javelin is, EA describes it as “a PC anticheat solution designed to ensure fair play in EA games by preventing and detecting cheating while focusing on privacy and security.” The one performance figure EA publishes is about its other titles, not Apex: “the solution has prevented millions of cheating attempts while maintaining an accuracy rate of over 99%”.
What Happens on the Day
Nothing for you to install manually. EA’s description of the process is that “PC players will be prompted to download a game update”, after which launching the game migrates you across.
That matches how Javelin behaves generally. EA’s help documentation says “If your game uses EA Javelin anticheat, it’ll automatically install the tool on your PC.”
The Secure Boot Question — and Why Two EA Pages Look Like They Disagree
This is the detail most worth knowing, because the answer is the opposite of what experienced EA players will assume.
Javelin on other EA titles has been notorious for sending players into their motherboard firmware. EA acknowledges this directly, saying some players “might remember a component requiring them to navigate bios menus on their PC to enable secure boot”.
For Apex, EA says that step does not apply: “At this time, that is not the case for Apex Legends”.
Worth reading carefully, though, because EA’s general Javelin troubleshooting page still tells players to “follow the steps on Microsoft’s website to enable Secure Boot on your computer” — but that instruction sits under a specific failure, the one caused by expired or unsigned drivers loading at launch. It is a fix for a particular error, not an entry requirement for Apex. The two pages are consistent; they are just answering different questions.
The Part Nobody Mentions: EA’s Denylist
If your game stops launching after the switch, the most likely cause is not a corrupted install. It is software you deliberately run.
EA publishes a table of blocked drivers, and it is full of mainstream PC utilities rather than anything resembling a cheat. Reading down EA’s own list, it includes Razer Synapse, ASUS Aura Sync, several MSI utilities, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and OC Guru II, EVGA Precision XOC, CPU-Z, HWiNFO, Core Temp, Process Explorer, Samsung Magician, Voicemod and a Kaspersky service — each listed with the exact driver filename EA blocks.
EA’s explanation is that “You’ll get this error if the software you’re using is on our denylist for security reasons.” In many cases updating is enough, because “Javelin prevents some outdated software from running at the same time as your game.”
Two cautions here. First, EA says plainly that “Please note this list isn’t exhaustive, and there might be other software on our denylist.” So the absence of your fan-control app from the table is not a guarantee. Second, VPNs are a known culprit: “Certain VPN and proxy software can cause Javelin to run incorrectly, so we recommend disabling or removing them.”
Cheat tools and debuggers are a separate category and are handled bluntly — “EA Javelin anticheat will shut down the game and our services if you use cheat tools, debuggers, or other conflicting software.”
Controller Remapping: reWASD Is Out
Worth calling out separately because it affects people who are not doing anything remotely suspicious. EA states that “reWASD is software that’s not permitted to run at the same time as a Javelin-protected game.” Daemon Tools and other DiscSoftLtd software are treated the same way.
EA does name replacements it supports, including KeyMapper, Microsoft’s PowerToys Keyboard Manager, Kanata, KMonad and “Steam Input features within the Steam client”.
Requirements and the Errors You Are Most Likely to Hit
There is a floor on Windows versions: “EA Javelin anticheat requires the Windows 10 20H1 update (version number 10.0.19041) or newer.”
EA’s general diagnosis is that “EA Javelin anticheat errors usually happen due to corrupted files or conflicting background software.” Two specific codes are documented:
- Error #41 — “If you’re using a Windows 11 Insider Preview build, Error #41 can happen when your build doesn’t have the renewed Windows Insider certificate.” The fix is to install the latest Insider Preview update and restart.
- Error #701 — EA says “it’s likely due to a Windows file system issue”. The documented repair is to run an elevated Command Prompt and “Type fsutil resource setautoreset true C:\ in the Command Prompt and select Enter”, then restart.
If you have ever modified game files, expect friction: EA notes that “This error can happen if you’ve altered or changed any game files.” Running a file verification through your launcher is the sane first move, and our guide to repairing Steam game files covers doing that without breaking your install.
On handhelds, EA has one named instruction — ROG Ally owners are told to “upgrade to the latest version of the ASUS Armoury Crate”.
When It Is Not the Anti-Cheat at All
EA is refreshingly direct that some crashes have nothing to do with Javelin: “Some crashes while playing EA games can be caused by CPU errors.” Its advice there is hardware-side — it points Intel owners to “follow Intel’s instructions for updating your CPU microcode” and to set BIOS power settings back to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
That distinction matters. If Apex was already crashing for you before the switch, the anti-cheat change is unlikely to be the cause, and the older fixes still apply — see our walkthrough for Apex Legends crashing on Windows, and for connection-side stutter the same diagnostic logic we used for Warzone lag.
Consoles Are Not Getting Javelin
Javelin is described throughout as a PC solution, and EA does not announce a console equivalent. What it describes instead is server-side work: “We continue to actively invest in specialized data models and server-side detection methods targeted at console-specific cheats.”
So if you play on PlayStation or Xbox, nothing installs and nothing changes on your machine on 29 September. Console-side crashes remain their own problem — our Apex Legends crashing on PS4 guide is unaffected by any of this.
Should You Uninstall It?
EA’s position is no, and it explains the consequence: “any game that uses EA Javelin anticheat protection won’t be playable until you reinstall it”. Its recommendation is equally plain — “We don’t recommend uninstalling EA Javelin anticheat unless you’re having issues and need to reinstall it”.
Uninstalling is a troubleshooting step, in other words, not a privacy setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything before 29 September?
No. EA says PC players will be prompted to download a game update, and the migration happens when you next launch.
Do I have to enable Secure Boot for Apex Legends?
EA says that is not the case for Apex at this time, even though Javelin has required it on other EA titles. The Secure Boot instruction on EA’s help page applies to a specific driver-related error, not to Apex entry.
Why won’t my game launch after the update?
EA’s stated causes are corrupted files or conflicting background software. Check EA’s denylist first — RGB, overclocking and hardware-monitoring utilities are heavily represented, and updating them is often enough.
Will my RGB or fan software get me banned?
EA frames denylisted software as blocked rather than punished: you get an error and the game will not start until it is updated or disabled. Cheat tools and debuggers are the category EA says it shuts the game down for.
Does this affect PS5, Xbox or Switch?
No. EA describes Javelin as a PC solution and points to server-side detection for console cheats.
Is Easy Anti-Cheat gone for good here?
For Apex on PC, EA describes the move as a switch and thanks Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat team for the partnership, which reads as an ending rather than a pause.
Accurate as of 27 September 2026. Everything attributed to EA above is quoted from the two pages listed below; the 29 September change had not yet taken effect at the time of writing, so behaviour on the day may differ from the announcement.
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