The PC version of Halo: Reach is releasing later today, and once it"s out, PC players will have the ability to tinker with it more easily than previously expected. 343 Industries has confirmed that the game will allow players to bypass the anti-cheat solution to modify the game without the fear of being banned.
The confirmation arrived on the Halo subreddit, where "343_farn" answered the question from a fan regarding modding support. Farn said that while official modding support is still being worked on, Easy Anti-Cheat - the game"s cheat detection service - can be bypassed to launch Reach without it.
This would allow players to apply modifications to the campaign and any custom modes, though, as expected, matchmaking will not be available. It"s recommended to take backups of any files being modified, as without the originals being swapped back in, the official multiplayer servers cannot be accessed.
It"s unclear if this method will apply to both Steam and Microsoft Store releases of Reach on PC. Be prepared to see plenty of model replacement videos to pop up following the launch, we might soon be fighting Thomas the Tank Engine instead of the Covenant.
Halo: Reach is slated to launch globally at 10AM PT on PC, Xbox One, and via Xbox Game Pass for both platforms.