Some Windows users are encountering the 'Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011' when attempting to launch Smite. This error pops up at the initial launch screen. This problem is reported to occur on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

Smite Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011'

After investigating this particular issue, it turns out that there are several different underlying causes that might trigger the Smite Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011' issue. Here's a list of potential culprits:

  • Public Test Server was recently uninstalled – One of the most common causes that will spawn this error with Smite is when you uninstall a PTS dependency for a different game. In most cases, this will affect the functionality of the Easy Anti Cheat engine on Smite. In this case, you can fix the issue by reinstalling the Easy Anti-Cheat engine with admin access.
  • Corrupted Easy Anti Cheat engine files – Corruption among the Easy Anti Cheat files can also be the underlying cause of this issue. If you find yourself in this particular scenario, you can fix the issue by repairing the entire package via the Standalone Installer or via the Steam installer.
  • Easy Anti Cheat service is Disabled – It's also possible to encounter this issue in situations where the Easy Anti Cheat engine is disabled by manual user interaction or by an optimizing utility. In this case, you can fix the problem by re-enabling the service from the Services screen.
  • Corrupted Visual C++ Redist. Dependencies – Corruption among a few Visual C++ Dependencies can also be the underlying cause of this issue. In this case, you can fix the problem by uninstalling the associated Visual C++ dependencies before reinstalling them using the official channels.
  • Conflict with Razer Synapse – If you're using Razer Synapse or a similar product from Razer, keep in mind that one service (Razer Gaming Scanning) is known to conflict with the Easy Anti Cheat engine. If this scenario is applicable, you can fix the issue by temporarily closing Razer Synapse and stopping the Razer Gaming Scanning service.
  • False-positive triggered by AV software – If you're using a 3rd party AV software, keep in mind that some of them are known to conflict with the Easy Anti Cheat engine. What typically happens is, the AV treats the main executable as a false positive and blocks it. In this case, you can typically fix either by updating your AV signature or by uninstalling the overprotective suite (if you can't whitelist the executable).

Now that you know every potential scenario that might be the underlying cause of this error, here's a list of methods that other affected users have successfully used to get to the bottom of this issue:

Method 1: Reinstalling the Easy Anti-Cheat service

In most documented cases, this particular will occur because the Easy Anti-Cheat engine was somehow uninstalled from your system. This is commonly reported to occur when Smite users end up uninstalling the Public Test Server (PTS) for a different game – This might end up breaking the Easy Anti-Cheat functionality on Smite.

If this scenario looks like it could be applicable, you should be able to fix the issue by re-installing this service manually from the game's installation folder.

To do this, open File Explorer and navigate to the location where you installed the game. Once you're inside, look for the Easy Anti Cheat installer (commonly named EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe). When you manage to locate it, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator from the context menu.

Running EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe with administrator access

Note: When you're prompted by the UAC (User Account Control) prompt, click Yes to grant admin access.

Once the main Easy Anti Cheat engine has been reinstalled, reboot your computer and wait for the next startup to complete before launching Smite once again and seeing if the issue is now resolved.

I case you still end up seeing the same 'Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011' prompt, move down to the next potential fix below.

Method 2: Repairing the Easy Anti Cheat service

If you previously made sure that the AntiCheat engine is installed and you're still encountering the same Error 10011when attempting to launch Smite, it's likely that you're dealing with some kind of corruption that is currently affecting the Anti Cheat engine.

In case you find yourself in this particular scenario, you can try to repair the Easy Anti Cheat service by accessing the existing executable and triggering a repair. Depending on where the Easy Anti Cheat is installed, you can find this executable in one of the following locations:

  • Standalone Installer – C:\Program Files (x86)\Hi-Rez Studios\HiRezGames\paladins\Binaries\EasyAntiCheat
  • Steam Installer – C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Paladins\Binaries\EasyAntiCheat

Once you manage to discover the correct executable, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator from the context menu. Next, from the Easy Anti-Cheat Service Setup menu, select Smite from the drop-down menu and click on the Repair Service button.

Repairing the Anti Cheat engine

Note: If you're prompted by the UAC (User Account Control) prompt, click Yes to grant admin access.

Follow the remaining prompts to repair the Easy Anti Cheat service, then reboot your computer and see if the problem is fixed once the next computer startup is complete.

If you're still encountering the same 'Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011' prompt when opening the Smite launcher, move down to the next potential fix below.

Method 3: Enabling the Easy Anti Cheat service

If the first methods didn't work in your case, you should also consider the possibility that the main Easy Anti Cheat service is disabled – This can happen either as a result of manual user interaction or after an optimizing software has disabled it in order to save up resources.

If you find yourself in this particular situation, you can re-enable this service by using the Services utility to enable re-enable the Easy Anti Cheat service and modifying the default startup behavior.

We managed to find a lot of user reports confirming that this method allowed them to finally launch Smite without encountering the same Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011error.

In case you're looking for specific instructions on how to do this, follow the instructions below:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Inside the Run box, type 'services.msc' and press Enter to open up the Services screen. When you're prompted by the UAC (User Account Prompt), click Yes to grant admin access.
    Accessing the Services screen
  2. Inside the Services screen, scroll down through the list of services and locate the service named Easy Anti Cheat.
  3. Once you manage to locate the correct service, right-click on it and choose Properties from the context menu that just appeared.
    Accessing the Properties menu of the Easy Anti Cheat service
  4. Inside the Properties menu of the Easy Anti Cheat Properties menu, access the General tab and modify the Startup type to Manual if it's set to Disabled. After you do this, click on the Start button and wait for the service to be started.
  5. Launch Smite once again and see if the issue is now resolved.

In case the same issue is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.

Method 4: Reinstalling the Visual C++ Redist. Dependencies

According to some users that were also encountering this issue, you can expect to see the Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011error due to some corrupted Visual C++ dependencies that the Easy Anti-Cheat engine needs in order to function properly.

Several affected users that were encountering this problem when launching Smite have reported that the issue was finally resolved after they have uninstalled every Microsoft Visual C++ Redist. Package that they had previously installed before reinstalling from scratch.

To make matters easier for you, we've put together a step-by-step guide that will walk you through the whole thing:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Next, type 'appwiz.cpl' and press Enter to open up the Programs and Features menu.
    Opening the Programs and Features menu

    Note: This step is universal and will work regardless of the Windows version that you're encountering the issue on.

  2. Once you're inside the Programs and Features menu, start by clicking on the Publisher tab to order the list via the associated Publisher.
  3. Next, go ahead and uninstall the following C++ Redist. packages by right-clicking on every entry and clicking on Uninstall. Then, follow the on-screen uninstallation prompts in order to uninstall every dependency used by the Easy Anti-Cheat engine:
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 (x64) Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 (x86) Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable
  4. Once you have successfully managed to uninstall every Redist. dependency, reboot your computer and wait for the next startup to complete.
  5. After your computer boots back up, go ahead and re-download and install the Visual C++ Redist. packages from the links below:
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 (x64)
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 (x86)
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable
  6. Once you manage to reinstall every problematic dependency, do one final restart and see if the problem is fixed once the next startup is complete.

In case you're still seeing this Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011error, move down to the final potential fix below.

Method 5: Close Razer Synapse and stop the Razer Gaming Scanning Service (if applicable)

If you're using software from Razer (Razer Synapse), it's likely that the Razer Game Scanning service is conflicting with the Easy Anti Cheat engine and triggering this Smite error at startup.

This problem has been around for years now and at the time of writing this article, Razer has still not released a fix for this problem.

Users facing the same issue have managed to get the Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011error fixed by closing the Razer Synapse application and forcibly shutting down the Razer Game Scanning service before launching Smite.

Here are some step-by-step instructions that you can follow:

  1.  Right-click on the tray-bar icon of Razer Synapse and choose Exit All Apps from the context menu that just appeared.
    Close Razer Synapse
  2. After you manage to successfully close Razer Synapse and every associated app, press Windows key + R to open up a Run prompt. Inside the text box, type 'services.msc' inside the text box and press Enter to open up the Services screen.
    Opening the Services screen
  3. Once you're inside the Services screen, scroll down through the list of services and locate the Razer Game Scanning services. Once you see it, right-click on it and choose Stop from the context menu that just appeared.
  4. Launch Smite once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

In case this problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.

Method 6: Updating antivirus to the Latest Version / Uninstalling 3rd party Antivirus

Keep in mind that a lot of 3rd party AV suites have a 'love and hate relationship' with the Easy Anti Cheat engine. It's not uncommon for certain outdated 3rd party security suites to flag this engine as potential malware due to a false positive, prompting the Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011error to appear when you attempt to launch Smite.

If you find yourself in this particular scenario and you're using a 3rd party suite that you suspect might have something to do with this issue, you have 2 ways of resolving the issue:

  • Updating your 3rd party AV to the latest version in order to fix the false positive
  • Uninstalling your current overprotective 3rd party security suite (if your AV is already updated to the latest version)

A. Updating your AV to the latest version

This is of course, specific to the 3rd party AV that you're currently using so we can't provide you with a definitive guide for updating it to the latest version available.

However, in most cases, you force a scan for a newer version by accessing the context menu of your AV suite from the tray bar icon. Simply right-click on your antivirus icon and look for an option that allows you to update.

Updating your AV suite to the latest version

If a new version is found, follow the on-screen prompts to install the newer AV signature, then reboot your computer and see if the issue is fixed at the next computer startup by launching Smite once again.

B. Uninstalling the Overprotective Suite

In case you have already updated the AV version to the latest and your attempts at whitelisting Smite along with its dependencies didn't fix the issue, you have no choice but to uninstall the overprotective suite.

In this case, follow the instructions below to uninstall the current 3rd party security suite and migrate to Windows Defender + Windows Firewall or a more lenient 3rd party suite:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Inside the text box, type 'appwiz.cpl' and press Enter to open up the Programs and Features menu.
    Opening the Programs and Features menu
  2. Once you're inside the Programs and Features menu, scroll down through the list of installed programs and locate the problematic Antivirus suite.
  3. After you locate the correct entry, right-click on it and choose Uninstall from the context menu that just appeared.
    Uninstall the overprotective AV suite
  4. Once you're prompted by the Uninstallation screen, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation, then restart your computer.
  5. After your computer boots back up, launch Smite once again and see if the 'Easy Anti-Cheat 'Error 10011' is now fixed.