nProtect GameGuard (sometimes called GG) is an anti-cheating

rootkit A rootkit is a collection of computer software, typically malicious, designed to enable access to a computer or an area of its software that is not otherwise allowed (for example, to an unauthorized user) and often masks its existence or the exist ...

developed by INCA Internet. It is widely installed in many online games to block possibly malicious applications and prevent common methods of cheating. nProtect GameGuard provides B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumer) security services for online game companies and portal sites. The software is considered to be one of three software programs which ''"dominate South Korea's domestic online game security market"''. GameGuard uses rootkits to proactively prevent cheat software from running. GameGuard hides the game application process, monitors the entire memory range, terminates applications defined by the game vendor and INCA Internet to be cheats ( QIP for example), blocks certain calls to

DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct" ...

functions and

Windows API The Windows API, informally WinAPI, is the foundational application programming interface (API) that allows a computer program to access the features of the Microsoft Windows operating system in which the program is running. Programs can acces ...

s, keylogs keyboard input, and auto-updates itself to change as new possible threats surface. Since GameGuard works like a rootkit, players may experience unintended and potentially unwanted side effects. If set, GameGuard blocks any installation or activation of hardware and peripherals (e.g., a mouse) while the program is running. Since GameGuard monitors any changes in the computer's memory, it will cause performance issues when the protected game loads multiple or large resources all at once. Additionally, some versions of GameGuard had an unpatched

privilege escalation Privilege escalation is the act of exploiting a Software bug, bug, a Product defect, design flaw, or a configuration oversight in an operating system or software application to gain elevated access to resource (computer science), resources that ar ...

bug, allowing any program to issue commands as if they were running under an Administrator account. GameGuard possesses a database on game hacks based on security references from more than 260 game clients. Some editions of GameGuard are now bundled with INCA Internet's Tachyon

anti-virus Antivirus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware. Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence the name ...

anti-spyware Spyware (a portmanteau for spying software) is any malware that aims to gather information about a person or organization and send it to another entity in a way that harms the user by violating their privacy, endangering their device's security, ...

library, and others with nProtect Key Crypt, an anti-key-logger software that protects the keyboard input information.

List of online games using GameGuard

GameGuard is used in many online games. * 9Dragons *

Atlantica Online ''Atlantica Online'' is a free-to-play (F2P) 3D computer graphics, 3D Tactical role-playing game, tactical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by NDOORS Corporation. The game is currently published bValofe The game' ...

* Blackshot *

Blade & Soul ''Blade & Soul'' () is a Wuxia-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Korean NCSoft (Team Bloodlust). ''Blade & Soul'' was released in Western territories on January 19, 2016. A Japanese animated television adapta ...

Cabal Online ''Cabal Online'' (, stylized as ''CABAL Online'') is a free-to-play, 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by South Korean company ESTsoft. Different localizations of the game exist for various countries and regions. Althou ...

* City Racer * Combat Arms: Reloaded * Combat Arms: The Classic *

Darkeden ''DarkEden'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing computer game in isometric projection or 3/4 perspective developed and published by SOFTON (formerly Metrotech). The game has a horror theme based on a war between humans (Sl ...

Digimon Masters Online ''Digimon Masters'' (Korean: 디지몬 마스터즈) also known as ''Digimon Masters Online'' is a free-to-play, massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with microtransactions. The game is based on the ''Digimon'' media franchise, ...

Dragon Saga ''Dragon Saga'' (), called ''Dragonica'' before 2010, is a free-to-play 3D side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Barunson Interactive and Gravity Interactive. Development has been ongoing since March 2006. O ...

Elsword ''Elsword'' () is a free-to-play, 2.5D action MMORPG developed by the South Korean company KOG Studios. It features real-time action gameplay and includes both player vs. environment and player vs. player modes. There are fourteen playable cha ...

(no longer used as of March 29, 2017) * Flyff *

Grand Chase ''Grand Chase'' () is a free-to-play, two-dimensional side-scrolling MMORPG, developed by the South Korean company KOG Studios. Alternative names for ''Grand Chase'' included ''Three Young Heroes'' ( zh, 3小俠), ''Eternal Adventures'' ( zh, � ...

Helldivers 2 ''Helldivers 2'' is a 2024 cooperative third-person shooter game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and Windows. The game is the direct sequel to '' Helldivers'' (2015). Set ...

* Lineage 1 & 2 * Legend of Mir 3 * Mir4 Global * Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst * Priston Tale * Metin2 * Playpark Moxiang * Pangya * Mu Legend *

Mu Online ''MU Online'' () is an Isometric video game graphics, isometric medieval fantasy Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, MMORPG, produced by Webzen, a Korean gaming company. It was introduced in 2001, and is still being supported and upda ...

La Tale ''La Tale'' is a 2D side-scrolling online game developed by South Korean studio Actoz Soft. Gamers take the role of adventurers in a mythological fantasy world with three continents, Jiendia, Freios, and Eastland. It was launched in South Korea ...

MapleStory ''MapleStory'' () is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game, developed by South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, published by var ...

* PangYa *

Phantasy Star Online 2 is a free-to-play online action role-playing game in the ''Phantasy Star'' series, developed and published by Sega. It was created as a successor to '' Phantasy Star Online'' and '' Phantasy Star Universe'', ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' featu ...

Ragnarok Online ''Ragnarok Online'' (, ''Rageunarokeu Onrain'' marketed as ''Ragnarök'', and alternatively subtitled ''The Final Destiny of the Gods'') is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by Gravity (Korean company), Gravity based ...

* Return of Warrior * Riders of Icarus * Rohan: Blood Feud *

RF Online ''RF Online'', originally named 'Rising Force', () is a 3D MMORPG developed by CCR. The first version of the game was released in South Korea and was later followed by Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, Portuguese and English translatio ...

* Rumble Fighter *

Ran Online ''Ran Online'' (stylized as ''RAN Online'', zh, 亂Online) was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Min Communications, Inc., the company that had also developed ''Remnant Knights''. After starting the first official ...

Rappelz ''Rappelz'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The game was developed by the South Korea, Korean company Gala Inc., Gala Lab, formerly nFlavor. It is published in Europe and North America by Gala Lab Corp under t ...

* Royal Crown *

Seal Online ''Seal Online'' (씰 온라인) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by the Korean company Grigon Entertainment. In February 2007, publisher YNK Interactive acquired the rights for the game, and in J ...

* Soul of the Ultimate Nation: Classic Edition * SoulWorker * Smash Legends *

Uncharted Waters Online is an MMORPG set in the Age of Exploration, with the English version published by Papaya Play. It features over a hundred different sailing ships and an open world based on real Earth geography, with players engage in many activities such as comb ...

* Summoners War: Chronicles * Undecember * Fleet Mission: NavyField *Star Stable Online (removed at 16.6.2022) * Starseed: Ashina Trigger

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nprotect Gameguard Anti-cheat software ja:NProtect#nProtect GameGuard

List of online games using GameGuard

See also

References

External links