Elden Ring

Elden Ring from FromSoftware, Inc. was released and since i was one of those who really wanted to have the title :P it was a chance to check connections that decide fundamental to the products such as Dark Souls series, which are also from FromSoftware, Inc.

In Elden Ring there are therefore a few things to keep in mind

• Forced Easy Anti-Cheat (Kamu Game Security was aquired by Epic Games, Inc. 2018, so one pest comes along with another) even for singleplayer mode
  
• The overall system of EAC has changed and i have seen this the first time here in Elden Ring. See Screenshot
  
• Epic "services" in mostly every new product makes it difficult for consumers to decide which and how services can be blocked
  
• FromSoftware has changed their connection mechanics (compared to other Dark Souls franchise).
  
• Epic and EAC are using Amazon AWS
  
• Product comes along with geo restrictions
  
• Should the online mode disabed via ingame menu as it is offered to us, do not forget that Epic's telemetry services still remains activ (use hosts or Firewall)
  

Beginning with game initialization (start_protected_game.exe), the first Epic contact was made. It's the first EAC contact under Epic's Domain. Instead of their own regulary base and tied already to Epic's datarouter telemetry.

To disable EAC without blocking connections

• Create a steam_appid.txt file in the Eldenring main folder
  
• Copy the productID 1245620 into it and save
  
• Start the game with eldenring.exe from mainfolder instead of the Steam shortcut
  

Note that the rest of Epic's telemetry service remains active, so we have to revert back to common methods

Epic Event/Session Telemetry and regulary Heartbeat

With regulary initialization of EAC itself the first Datarouter telemetry query from Epic Games, Inc. is activated. Together with Heartbeat functions and Websocket traffic.

The product thus attempts to connect directly online, and in addition to the connections to Epic Games, Inc., contact is also made to FromSoftware. Very important multiplayer mode ;D

Ingame a regulrary heartbeat telemetry is activated by default which is phoning home with updated player/sessiondata in short intervals

If the connections to EPIC are blocked <i>api.epicdev.com</i> only half of the game will work. Other products with the same mechanics will not work at all. 2 birds with one stone. Either customers have to come forward with data or bad luck and non working and/or half products.

So, consumers have to see for themselves if they block the connections individually.

In any case, it shows once again that neither the developers nor Epic itself listen to customers and do their own thing. And we have to pay dearly for it.

How customers will react remains to be seen. While the attempt to connect Tomb Raider to Epic services was withdrawn by SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. after massive protests, many consumers don't care about as long as they can play themselves.

*Real* Singleplayer experience

For singleplayer experience everything can be blocked.

Prepared host entries online

- Elden Ring

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