You can literally just uninstall the anticheat, game still works offline

[sears.exe]

If you're not gonna go online you literally don't even need the anti-cheat installed, the game will launch and run and play perfectly fine absent the online features - just don't ask me if it works with cross saves I don't know and can't test it.

So anyway, here's the step by step - with the understanding that you are responsible for your own actions and any consequences that may follow your choices. I've been tinkering with this for hours while opening and closing the game and nothing's broken irreparably and no one's arrested me yet, so... Aight? Cool.

You might wanna start by backing up your saves of anything you don't wanna lose.

You’ll find your save data here:

C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Game\Saved\SaveGames
Steam\userdata\[Your ID]\2993780\remote

System data(?) here:

Users\ [Your Name]\AppData\LocalLow\LEVEL5 Inc_\FANTASY LIFE i\Users\faff84d20f510d8b\Saved

Next open up the game folder

Steam\steamapps\common\FANTASY LIFE i

You will see a file called GameBootstrapper.ini
Open this in anything, notepad's fine. Go to the top line and replace

ApplicationPath=EACLauncher.exe

with

ApplicationPath=Game\Binaries\Win64\NFL1-Win64-Shipping.exe 

or

ApplicationPath=NFL1.exe

NOTE: YOU MIGHT HAVE TO RE-DO THIS PART AFTER AN UPDATE

Go ahead and launch the game, make sure it starts and your save works before doing anything nuts. It should completely skip launching EAC and go straight into the title screen.

If you experience(d) any save game loss, please read this: you can launch the game directly from either of these executables on their own, bypassing the anti-cheat without editing anything, but launching them manually for some reason makes them unable to locate the game's default save location - which makes it appear as though your save might have been lost or deleted - do not panic! It's probably fine so long as you have not started a new save yet! The reason we're bothering to edit these files is so we can continue to launch it through steam and prevent any save data loss/misplacement. Still it's best practice to always make a backup just in case! Hopefully someone better at reverse engineering can figure out why the save file behavior is so wonky.

If you still have any problems getting it to launch or recognize an existing save; double-check your spelling and formatting in the GameBootstrapper.ini config, make sure your gamedata is in the "Steam\userdata\[Your ID]\2993780\remote"folder,possibly try adding the'-dx11' or '-safe' commands to your launch options (right click the game > properties > general > launch options), if all else fails back everything up, validate your game files, and start back at step one. If none of that works then I simply cannot help, may Gaben have mercy on your soul.

---

Now if you already installed EAC and want to remove all rotten little traces of it,

Press Windows + R and run the command ‘cmd’ to open the command prompt and copy/paste this

EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe qa-factory-reset

This will reset and disable EAC, but we don't just want it disabled we want that little a hole eliminated at the source. Be extra careful if following instructions scares you tho, we're doing brain surgery on your computer.

Window + R and run ‘regedit’

Open the Registry Editor

Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and navigate to

SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services >EasyAntiCheat.reg
SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services >EasyAntiCheat_EOS.reg

Delete’em, get’em outta here.

You wanna go through cleaning up and deleting any other leftover junk files or folders related to it - and you're done! Reboot and there should be no trace of EAC and your game should launch fine and retain all your save info.

However, when the game updates, it will automatically replace deleted files and possibly reset your .ini files back to default, so you should double check after an update to make sure your tweaks haven't been untwucked. As long as you have it set up right it shouldn't automatically reinstall EAC - but you can just block'em with your Firewall or use the AppLocker to deny run permissions if you want to make super duper sure you can't accidentally reinstall it.

Windows + R and run 'secpol.msc'
Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Executable Rules
Right-click, create new rule, set action to 'deny' Everybody, add EACLauncer.exe and EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe to rule, create. That should block them from running even if you open them and click all over them on purpose.

Enjoy reclaiming your computer's resources so you don't overheat and melt in the summer like I am. If you have any further questions the answer is most likely "I dunno man"

---

Edit: now in guide form for ease of reference
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485522937

[Zarian]

thank you.

[Dede]

This should be pinned at the top and along with an announcement removing EAC.

[sears.exe]

Wanted to bump this now that it's unlocked everywhere and there's more people looking at picking it up.

[iღako]

THANK YOU!

[Santoryu]

Thank you for your great guide, people that doesnt know how to do it can now read up there.

Also, local save seems to be at C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Game\Saved\SaveGames

[Mimi]

most games with an offline mode let you pick when launching "start in offline mode" "start in online mode (With EAC)"

maybe they will add this eventually

[sears.exe]

Originally posted by Santoryu:

Thank you for your great guide, people that doesnt know how to do it can now read up there.

Also, local save seems to be at C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Game\Saved\SaveGames

Well I'll be damned, it really just says 'game' doesn't it, no wonder it was hard to find. Thanks, will edit that in.

Originally posted by Mimi:

most games with an offline mode let you pick when launching "start in offline mode" "start in online mode (With EAC)"

maybe they will add this eventually

Yeah, I also play lots of games that use Battle Eye, but it at least politely asks first if you want to install it and go online first.

I don't think I'd care as much if it wasn't just forced on you as an offline player. I do think people are probably overly cautious of it, but overly cautious is a good attitude to have when it comes to security. In the end it's about autonomy over your own device/purchase.

[Arathian]

What's even the point of an anti cheat in a freaking co op only game?

[Mimi]

Originally posted by sears.exe:

Originally posted by Santoryu:

Thank you for your great guide, people that doesnt know how to do it can now read up there.

Also, local save seems to be at C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Game\Saved\SaveGames

Well I'll be damned, it really just says 'game' doesn't it, no wonder it was hard to find. Thanks, will edit that in.

Originally posted by Mimi:

most games with an offline mode let you pick when launching "start in offline mode" "start in online mode (With EAC)"

maybe they will add this eventually

Yeah, I also play lots of games that use Battle Eye, but it at least politely asks first if you want to install it and go online first.

I don't think I'd care as much if it wasn't just forced on you as an offline player. I do think people are probably overly cautious of it, but overly cautious is a good attitude to have when it comes to security. In the end it's about autonomy over your own device/purchase.

that's not the location of the save, the save is here

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\USERID\2993780\remote

not 100% sure but this is what was reported earlier. the file seems too small for the same though

[Dede]

Originally posted by Arathian:

What's even the point of an anti cheat in a freaking co op only game?

Epic platform, they likely require it if you want to connect a game to their servers.

[Jente]

This post is the single reason I'm buying again. After following updates and delays for years, 300+ hours in the 3DS, and being ready to preorder, the EAC killed my entire enthusiasm. I even remember thinking "Can't they just let you opt out and have no multiplayer?"
Thank you!!

[Dede]

Originally posted by Jente:

This post is the single reason I'm buying again. After following updates and delays for years, 300+ hours in the 3DS, and being ready to preorder, the EAC killed my entire enthusiasm. I even remember thinking "Can't they just let you opt out and have no multiplayer?"
Thank you!!

I used to get crashes and the loading into the game was a pain, the guide is a serious help. I can't recommend the game enough as a fellow 3DS player but man EAC rightfully hurts the game in more ways then just the EAC reputation.

[sears.exe]

Originally posted by Mimi:

Originally posted by sears.exe:

Well I'll be damned, it really just says 'game' doesn't it, no wonder it was hard to find. Thanks, will edit that in.


Yeah, I also play lots of games that use Battle Eye, but it at least politely asks first if you want to install it and go online first.

I don't think I'd care as much if it wasn't just forced on you as an offline player. I do think people are probably overly cautious of it, but overly cautious is a good attitude to have when it comes to security. In the end it's about autonomy over your own device/purchase.

that's not the location of the save, the save is here

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\USERID\2993780\remote

not 100% sure but this is what was reported earlier. the file seems too small for the same though

The time on it matches up with my last save so I went ahead and added it to the OP anyway. I don't know which is the one the game is actually trying to pull from, but probably best practice to back up both either way.

[DasGrob]

And of you only Play on the Steam Deck (Like i do) Just never Install it in your PC. Because the Steam Deck don't give EAC root Access so it's no Security Problem there.

[Spicy Cajun]

Thank you! Going to forward this to a friend. Immensely helpful.