FACEIT Anti-Cheat and Ricochet: How Matchmaking-Level Protection Works

FACEIT anti cheat and Ricochet often get lumped in with EAC or BattlEye, but they follow their own logic. FACEIT doesn't protect a whole game, it protects a separate platform for CS2 matches. Ricochet is built into Call of Duty and watches every match in Black Ops and Warzone. Below is a plain-language breakdown of what each one checks, which PC requirements arrived in 2025–2026, and what that means for a regular player.

What "matchmaking-level protection" means

It's an anti-cheat that decides whether you're allowed into a match and keeps an eye on your PC while the match runs. It works together with the matchmaking servers: if the check fails, you simply won't connect.

CS2 already has Valve's own protection, VAC. FACEIT is a separate platform with its own servers and rating, and you can only join with the FACEIT Anti-Cheat client running. So the same player goes through different checks in regular matchmaking and on FACEIT.

Ricochet works differently: it's the Call of Duty publisher's own system. It runs in Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 and Warzone, so there's no separate platform, the protection is already inside the game.

How FACEIT anti cheat works

FACEIT Anti-Cheat has three parts: an app that must be running during a match, a kernel-level driver, and a server-side part that confirms to the platform that the anti-cheat is actually running.

The key detail is that the FACEIT driver loads with Windows, not when you launch the game. At the same time, the company says the anti-cheat only collects data while Counter-Strike is running. You can unload the driver from the tray icon, but to play on FACEIT again you'll need to restart your PC. It only runs on Windows, there are no Mac or Linux versions.

New requirements: TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and Windows 11

• Over the past year FACEIT has raised the bar for players' PCs:
• Since November 25, 2025, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are mandatory for everyone. According to the platform, 95% of players already had them enabled.
• IOMMU and VBS became mandatory first for players above 3,000 ELO and are being rolled out to everyone else in waves.
• Since October 14, 2026, Windows 10 is no longer supported on FACEIT. You need Windows 11.

Put simply, TPM and Secure Boot together produce a "certificate" saying your PC booted without unauthorized changes. The anti-cheat checks that certificate before letting you into a match. IOMMU protects system memory from external devices. FACEIT openly says these measures are meant to shut down the cheapest and most common bypass methods, DMA devices included.

Why FACEIT can interfere with other programs

Since the FACEIT driver loads with the system, it stays in Windows even when you're playing a completely different game. That's why it tends to clash with third-party software. FACEIT itself may also refuse to start because of monitoring tools, RGB utilities or AutoHotkey, which it treats as suspicious.

How Ricochet works in Call of Duty

Ricochet is Activision's multi-layered system: server-side analytics, in-game checks and a kernel driver on PC. The main difference from FACEIT: the Ricochet driver switches on only when you launch a protected game and switches off when you close it.

With the launch of Black Ops 7, Ricochet added hardware checks too: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Both systems are heading the same way and now check not just the game, but how your PC started up.

Punishments right inside the match

• Ricochet is known for not always banning right away. Sometimes it ruins the cheater's game first to collect more data:
• Damage Shield: the cheater's shots barely hurt legitimate players.
• Cloaking: opponents become invisible to the cheater, along with their bullets and sounds.
• Disarm: the cheater's weapons disappear.

There was also Quicksand, which slowed movement down, but the developers retired it. The Ricochet team stresses that all of this is a supplement and bans remain the main tool. The team has also said it is learning to detect third-party devices connected to a PC or console.

FACEIT vs Ricochet

Where it runs. FACEIT Anti-Cheat protects CS2 matches on the FACEIT platform. Ricochet works inside the game itself: in Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 and Warzone.

When the driver is active. The FACEIT driver loads with Windows and stays in the system all the time. The Ricochet driver switches on only while the game is running and switches off when you close it.

Hardware requirements. FACEIT requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, and is adding IOMMU and VBS in stages. Ricochet has also checked TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot since the launch of Black Ops 7.

Operating system. Since October 2026, FACEIT works only on Windows 11. Ricochet needs Windows.

What happens to a cheater. FACEIT keeps such a player out of matches and blocks them on the platform. Ricochet first applies in-game punishments and then bans.

What it means for players

• Both systems move checks down to the hardware and Windows boot level. Old methods work less and less, and PC requirements keep growing. In practice, that means a few things.
• Check the product page. It lists supported systems, the anti-cheat and the game mode. If your Windows doesn't match, that's not grounds for a refund.
• For CS2, it matters where you play. Regular matchmaking and FACEIT are protected differently.
• Status can change several times a day. Check the product page and the Goldencheats Telegram channel before launching, update news appears there faster.
• Play like a regular player. Don't shoot through walls point-blank, don't move unnaturally and don't record your screen with the software on.

FAQ

Does FACEIT Anti-Cheat run all the time?

The driver loads with Windows, but FACEIT says the anti-cheat only collects data while Counter-Strike is running. You can unload the driver from the tray icon, and you'll need a restart before your next FACEIT match.

Can I play on FACEIT with Windows 10?

No. Since October 14, 2026, FACEIT no longer supports Windows 10. You need Windows 11 with TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled.

Is Ricochet running when I'm not playing Call of Duty?

According to Activision, no. The Ricochet driver turns on when you launch Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 or Warzone and turns off when you exit the game.

What happens if my account gets banned?

Refunds are not provided in case of detection or a ban. The full terms are in the user agreement, so it's worth checking requirements and product status before buying.

Bottom line

FACEIT anti cheat and Ricochet protect matches in different ways: the first keeps its driver in the system at all times and requires Windows 11 with TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, the second turns on only with Call of Duty and can punish cheaters right inside the game. If you're choosing software for CS2 or Call of Duty Warzone, start with the product page: it lists the anti-cheat, supported systems and current status.