FIFA 23: How to Fix the EA Anti Cheat Error During Update Process

This problem, unfortunately, seems to be specific to PC users looking to play FIFA 23 via Steam or Origin.

When PC players attempt to launch the game, many are being smacked with a bug that reports the error message: “EA Anti Cheat Service encountered an error.” At the same time, many players have encountered this error during the update process upon booting the game.

There are a number of options we’ll go over that can help to bypass this early dev bug in our How to Fix the EA Anti Cheat Error During Update Process guide for new players.

How to Fix the EA Anti Cheat Error During Update Process in FIFA 23

How to fix this bug? The first potential solution is arguably the most obvious – as always. A quick restart.

Restarting FIFA 23

Simply try restarting the game to see if you continually get the error message upon booting up the game or upon updates being prompted. This might not work for you, but many players on Steam message boards and various forums seem to be able to bypass it easily by restarting.

Running the Game as Administrator in Steam/Origin

Another fairly easy and straightforward fix. Simply right-click on the Steam or Origin client, and select the option to “Run as Administrator.” Once you’ve done this, head over to the Games Library and launch FIFA 23 again.

Reinstalling the “Anti-Cheat” EA Program

Look for your FIFA 23 game folders and look for the Anti-cheat folder within FIFA 23’s files. The standard default file directory should be: Local Disk:\Program Files\EA \AC. Launch, from this folder, the AntiCheat.exe (EAAntiCheat.Installer) and select the option to uninstall the program.

Once again, launch Steam or Origin as Administrator and run FIFA 23. This will prompt the re-install of the Anti-Cheat program to hopefully by-pass the error message.

Check Game Files for Missing or Corrupted Files

In Steam:

• Go to your Library, select FIFA 23 and right-click to select Properties.
• Head to the Local Files as indicated on the left-hand side.
• Select “Verify Integrity” of game files.

In Origin:

• Go to your Game Library in Origin and right-click on FIFA 23 to select Repair.
• After it is finished, re-launch the game.

Disable any Security Features or Antivirus Software

There is the potential that an antivirus software, Windows Security, or other program such as these could be blocking the application from properly running. The .exe file may end up being flagged as a malware threat (despite it not being one) and this can prevent the application from properly running.

This may vary depending on what software you’re using, but you’ll want to ensure you allow EAAntiCheat.GameServiceLauncher.exe and FIFA23.exe as exceptions to whatever software you’re using. In the case of Windows Security, this means heading over to “Virus and Threat Protection” and locating the “Manage Ransomware Protection” option. Under Controlled Folder Access, you can add the prior two .exe files.

Your last two options if these fail to work is completely uninstalling and reinstalling the game, or heading over to EA Support directly to report the problem.

If the error persists despite trying all of these available options, we do recommend you head over directly to EA’s support for the game to report the technical issue directly.