PunkBuster is a program created by Even Balance Inc. designed to detect forms of cheating in online games. It has been used in several prominent multiplayer games up until 2015, where development seemingly ceased as no new games were released with the anti-cheat protection, nor were any more updates or news published regarding PunkBuster on the official website.[1] Although it was in development since 2000, it was known to still cause problems with other programs and certain hardware configurations years after its initial release.
General information
- Official website
Installing
Most games that require PunkBuster for multiplayer will install it when the game itself is installed. In cases where it is not, details on installing PunkBuster can be found at their website.
Updating
On occasion PunkBuster may release an update for a specific game. In this case, the game will usually kick you from servers if you are running an old version of PunkBuster for the game. To update the version of PunkBuster for a specific game, download PBSetup.exe from their website. If the game you want to update isn't listed in the main view, select Add Game and find the game you are looking for. Once it has been added to the main window, select the game then select check for updates. If there is an update available, PunkBuster will then install it.
Known problems
- Some 64-bit games are not compatible with PunkBuster, requiring the user to play the 32-bit version of the game to play online.
- Some older games that use PunkBuster require administrator privileges to play online properly.
- The Steam overlay causes problems with PunkBuster, it is therefore recommended that you disable the Steam overlay for all PunkBuster games.
- PunkBuster is not compatible with Wine, and possibly other similar compatibility layers, due to harsh API entry signature checks.[2]
List of PunkBuster titles
- The below table includes all games that have historically used PunkBuster. Some of these titles do not use it any longer.
- This list is generated automatically. To add or update entries simply edit the individual pages (see the editing guide for details).
| Game |
Developer |
Publisher |
First release |
Systems |
LAN |
Online |
| America's Army |
U.S. Army |
U.S. Army |
July 4, 2002 |
|
|
|
| America's Army 3 |
U.S. Army |
U.S. Army |
June 17, 2009 |
|
|
|
| America's Army: Proving Grounds |
U.S. Army |
U.S. Army |
October 1, 2015 |
|
|
|
| Assassin's Creed III |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft, Akella |
November 20, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft |
November 19, 2013 |
|
|
|
| Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft |
March 17, 2011 |
|
|
|
| Assassin's Creed: Revelations |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft |
December 1, 2011 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield 1942 |
DICE |
Electronic Arts |
September 10, 2002 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield 2 |
DICE, DICE Canada |
Electronic Arts |
June 21, 2005 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield 2142 |
DICE |
Electronic Arts |
October 17, 2006 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield 3 |
DICE, Visceral Games |
Electronic Arts |
October 25, 2011 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield 4 |
DICE, DICE Los Angeles |
Electronic Arts |
October 29, 2013 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield Hardline |
Visceral Games, DICE, EA Canada, DICE Los Angeles, Criterion Games |
Electronic Arts |
March 17, 2015 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield Heroes |
DICE, Easy Studios |
Electronic Arts, Aeria Games |
June 25, 2009 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield Play4Free |
DICE, Easy Studios |
Electronic Arts |
April 4, 2011 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield Vietnam |
DICE Canada |
Electronic Arts |
March 14, 2004 |
|
|
|
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 |
DICE, Coldwood Interactive |
Electronic Arts |
March 2, 2010 |
|
|
|
| Blacklight: Retribution |
Zombie Studios, Hardsuit Labs |
Perfect World Entertainment, Hardsuit Labs |
April 3, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Call of Duty |
Infinity Ward, Gray Matter Interactive, Pi Studios |
Activision, Electronic Arts, Aspyr Media |
October 29, 2003 |
|
|
|
| Call of Duty 2 |
Infinity Ward |
Activision, Electronic Arts, Aspyr Media |
October 25, 2005 |
|
|
|
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare |
Infinity Ward |
Activision, Aspyr Media, Noviy Disk |
November 5, 2007 |
|
|
|
| Call of Duty: World at War |
Treyarch, Arkane Studios, Certain Affinity, Pi Studios |
Activision, Noviy Disk |
November 11, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Crysis |
Crytek |
Electronic Arts |
November 13, 2007 |
|
|
|
| Crysis Warhead |
Crytek Budapest |
Electronic Arts |
September 17, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Doom 3 |
id Software, Splash Damage, Nerve Software |
Activision, CYBERFRONT Corporation, Electronic Arts Brasil, Aspyr Media |
August 3, 2004 |
|
|
|
| Enemy Territory: Quake Wars |
Splash Damage, id Software |
Activision, id Software |
September 28, 2007 |
|
|
|
| F.E.A.R. |
Monolith Productions, TimeGate Studios |
Sierra Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, SoftClub |
October 18, 2005 |
|
|
|
| F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate |
TimeGate Studios |
Sierra Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
November 6, 2007 |
|
|
|
| Far Cry |
Crytek |
Ubisoft, Buka Entertainment, Sold Out Software |
March 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
| Far Cry 2 |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft, Buka Entertainment |
October 21, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Far Cry 3 |
Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Massive, Ubisoft Red Storm, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Reflections |
Ubisoft, Buka Entertainment |
November 29, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Frontlines: Fuel of War |
Kaos Studios |
THQ, THQ Nordic |
February 25, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Infestation: Survivor Stories Classic |
Hammerpoint Interactive |
OP Productions |
December 17, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising |
NovaLogic |
NovaLogic, THQ Nordic |
June 15, 2004 |
|
|
|
| Knight Online |
Noah System, Mgame |
NTTGame |
January 25, 2016 |
|
|
|
| MechWarrior: Living Legends |
Wandering Samurai Studios |
|
December 26, 2009 |
|
|
|
| Medal of Honor (2010) |
Danger Close Games, DICE |
Electronic Arts |
October 12, 2010 |
|
|
|
| Medal of Honor: Airborne |
EA Los Angeles, Demiurge Studios |
Electronic Arts |
September 4, 2007 |
|
|
|
| Medal of Honor: Warfighter |
Danger Close Games |
Electronic Arts |
October 23, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Need for Speed: ProStreet |
EA Black Box |
Electronic Arts, Ak tronic Software & Services, 1C-SoftClub |
November 13, 2007 |
|
|
|
| Need for Speed: Undercover |
EA Black Box |
Electronic Arts |
November 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Prey |
Human Head Studios |
2K Games, 3D Realms, Sold Out Software |
July 11, 2006 |
|
|
|
| Quake 4 |
Raven Software, id Software |
Activision, Aspyr Media, Bethesda Softworks |
October 18, 2005 |
|
|
|
| Quake III Arena |
id Software |
Activision |
December 2, 1999 |
|
|
|
| Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad |
Tripwire Interactive, War Drum Studios |
|
September 13, 2011 |
|
|
|
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein |
Gray Matter Interactive, id Software, Nerve Software, Splash Damage |
Activision, Aspyr Media |
November 19, 2001 |
|
|
|
| Rising Storm |
Tripwire Interactive, Antimatter Games |
|
May 30, 2013 |
|
|
|
| Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix |
Raven Software |
Activision, MacPlay |
May 20, 2002 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier |
Ubisoft Romania, Ubisoft Paris, Red Storm Entertainment |
Ubisoft |
June 28, 2012 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield |
Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Casablanca |
Ubisoft, Aspyr Media, Sold Out Software |
March 18, 2003 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown |
Red Storm Entertainment |
Ubisoft |
February 16, 2006 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft |
November 28, 2006 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 |
Ubisoft Montreal |
Ubisoft |
April 15, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow |
Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Annecy |
Ubisoft, Russobit-M |
March 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
| War Rock |
Dream Execution |
Papaya Play |
July 14, 2006 |
|
|
|
| Wolfenstein |
Raven Software, id Software, Endrant Studios, Blur Studios, Pi Studios |
Activision |
August 18, 2009 |
|
|
|
| Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory |
Splash Damage, id Software |
Activision, Bethesda Softworks |
May 29, 2003 |
|
|
|
| World War II Combat: Iwo Jima |
Direct Action Games |
Groove Games, City Interactive |
July 25, 2006 |
|
|
|
| World War II Combat: Road to Berlin |
Direct Action Games |
Groove Games, City Interactive, 1C Company |
January 24, 2006 |
|
|
|
References
