What is the difference between external and internal cheats?
An external cheat runs as its own program next to the game and does not put code into it. An internal cheat, also called injected, loads its code into the running game process. Both types exist for the same games: for Black Ops 7 and Warzone, for example, we sell one of each.
Which of our cheats run which way
The line between the two is the game process. In Microsoft's words, a process holds what a program needs to run, including its own address space and code. An external cheat stays in a process of its own; an internal one puts its code into the game's. The table shows, game by game, which type each of our cheats is and how it starts.
| Game | Type | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Rust | External | Its own kernel driver and hypervisor, no code in the game |
| Apex Legends | External | Runs from its own loader |
| Arc Raiders | External | Its own loader and a kernel-level driver, started before the game |
| Counter-Strike 2 | External | A self-updating loader that draws through the Steam overlay |
| Call of Duty, BO7/WZ5 External | External | Sold as its own build |
| Call of Duty, BO7/WZ5 Internal | Internal | Loaded into the game through its own loader |
| GTA V | Injected | You press Inject once you are in a GTA Online session |
| FiveM, Eulen Menu | Internal | The loader injects into the running FiveM process |
- Type
- External
- How it runs
- Its own kernel driver and hypervisor, no code in the game
- Type
- External
- How it runs
- Runs from its own loader
- Type
- External
- How it runs
- Its own loader and a kernel-level driver, started before the game
- Type
- External
- How it runs
- A self-updating loader that draws through the Steam overlay
Call of Duty, BO7/WZ5 External
- Type
- External
- How it runs
- Sold as its own build
Call of Duty, BO7/WZ5 Internal
- Type
- Internal
- How it runs
- Loaded into the game through its own loader
- Type
- Injected
- How it runs
- You press Inject once you are in a GTA Online session
- Type
- Internal
- How it runs
- The loader injects into the running FiveM process
How an external cheat loads
- Start the loaderSome external loaders have to run before the game starts, the Arc Raiders one for example. The product page says which.
- Start the gameThe cheat stays a separate program. Rust runs on its own driver and hypervisor; CS2 draws through the Steam overlay.
- Open the menu in-gameOnce you are loaded in, the menu opens with a key, usually Insert.
How an internal cheat loads
- Start the game firstAn internal cheat needs the running game process to load into. For GTA V that means being in a GTA Online session; Eulen injects from the FiveM server list.
- Inject from the loaderThe loader puts the cheat into the game process. In GTA V you press Inject.
- Open the menu in-gameThe menu now lives inside the game and opens with Insert.
Neither type is a promise on its own. What matters is whether the current build is cleared against the current anti-cheat, and that is what the status shows; how to read it.
Related answers
- What anti-cheat does FiveM use?
- How do I know if a cheat is detected?
- What does stream proof mean for a cheat?
- Do I need to uninstall Vanguard or FACEIT to use a cheat?
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