Sega recently announced that they will be implementing Wellbia’s anti-malware program in PSO2: NGS and players are quite unhappy about it.
You can join the Artificial Relict to Keep Species (ARKS) organization in this explorative video game, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.
If you follow the main storyline, you can explore the vast, open world, vanquish enemies, and procure powerful weapons and gear.
Wellbia
Unfortunately, some PSO2: NGS players have discovered ways to gain an unfair advantage over other players by cheating in the game.
Although the game’s developer, Sega, has banned several players for cheating and using hacks, the problem persisted.
On Thursday, 26 October 2023, Sega announced that they will be implementing Wellbia’s anti-malware tools program into the personal computer (PC) version of PSO2: NGS.
The official announcement revealed that the new program will be implemented for Windows and Epic versions of the game on Wednesday, 1 November 2023.
The Wellbia’s anti-malware program will only be implemented for the Steam version of PSO2: NGS on Monday, 6 November 2023.
This program will be applied following implementation, but the announcement disclosed that it is still possible to switch to the previously implemented nProtectGameGuard via the game launcher.
If players encounter an arrow that you believe to be caused by the new anti-malware program when starting PSO2: NGS, or even during gameplay, you should start the game in compatibility mode from the game launcher.
In order to switch anti-malware programs, you have to run the game launcher and select the Comaptibility Mode, listed under Preferences. You then have to select the “Features” tab before launching the game.
Wellbia’s programs
PSO2: NGS can be enjoyed on various platforms, including PlayStation consoles and Xbox consoles. However, at the time of writing, only gamers who are playing the game on a PC will experience Welbia’s anti-malware programs.
That does not mean that the anti-malware program will not be implemented on consoles. Wellbia’s programs are as follows:
| Program | Description |
| XIGNCODE3 for PC online games |
|
| XIGNCODE3 for console gaming |
|
Players’ opinions
Since Sega announced the implementation of Wellbia’s anti-malware programs, several PSO2: NGS players have shared their opinions on the matter. On the official Discord channel, a player named Emil has shared his privacy concerns.
Allegedly, Wellbia continued to run on PC even when players closed the game. Emil is therefore concerned about the fact that Wellbia can track everything on his PC, which is e a violation of privacy.
Another player – Lyrsen – explained that Wellbia’s program will not launch the game if you have a specific antivirus on your PC.
Furthermore, the anti-malware program would close the game at random times if the internet connection was not stable enough.
Petition
In addition to players voicing their concerns on the official Discord server, a PSO2: NGS player named #XIGNCODE3HATER created a petition to not use Xigncode3 in PSO2.
On this petition channel, the player urges others to share their opinions and thoughts about the new anti-malware with Sega to stop them from implementing the Wellbia program.
Another player, Raevenent, mentioned that he already submitted a ticket to voice his concerns about the Wellbia’s anti-malware program.
He also suggested that everyone else submit a ticket because there is a chance that Sega will decide not to implement the program if enough people submit a ticket.
Will Sega continue with the implementation of Wellbia’s program?
Although several players are voicing their concerns about the implementation of Wellbia’s anti-malware program, the chances are extremely high that the developers will implement the program in PSO2: NGS anyway.
That being said, the announcement revealed that players who do not want to use Wellbia’s anti-malware program can return to the previously implemented nProtectGameGuard through the game launcher.