CrossOver 26 Breaks the Anti-Cheat Barrier: Helldivers 2, Starfield, and More Now Run on Mac

The Anti-Cheat Problem Is (Mostly) Solved

For years, anti-cheat software has been the single biggest obstacle to running modern multiplayer Windows games on Mac. Titles using kernel-level anti-cheat systems like nProtect GameGuard, Easy Anti-Cheat, or BattlEye would simply refuse to launch through any compatibility layer — even if the game itself was technically capable of running.

With CrossOver 26, released in February 2026, CodeWeavers has made a major breakthrough. A huge list of previously blocked games now work on Mac, and the underlying improvements position CrossOver to tackle even more anti-cheat-protected titles going forward.

This isn't an incremental update — it's a sea change for Mac gaming.

What's Under the Hood

CrossOver 26 ships with a serious stack of upgrades that make this anti-cheat breakthrough possible:

• Wine 11.0 — Over 6,000 changes from the upstream Wine project, improving compatibility across the board. This is the foundation that everything else builds on.
• D3DMetal 3.0 — The third major version of Apple's DirectX-to-Metal translation layer. This is critical for performance on Apple Silicon Macs, translating DirectX calls to Apple's native Metal API with dramatically improved accuracy and speed.
• DXMT v0.72 — An alternative Metal-based DirectX translation layer that benefits specific titles where D3DMetal isn't the best fit.
• VKD3D 1.18 — Improved DirectX 12 support, which many modern AAA games require.
• Wine Mono 10.4.1 — Updated .NET compatibility for games and applications that depend on it.

The combination of Wine 11.0's compatibility improvements with D3DMetal 3.0's performance gains is what enables these heavy titles to not just launch, but actually be playable.

The Headline: Helldivers 2 on Mac

Helldivers 2 — Arrowhead Game Studios' wildly popular co-op shooter — now runs on Mac through CrossOver 26. This is a big deal.

Helldivers 2 was the single most voted-for game in CrossOver's entire compatibility database, with 90 community votes — more than any other title. It uses nProtect GameGuard anti-cheat, which previously made it completely impossible to run on Mac through any WINE-based solution. CrossOver 26 resolved that.

What You Need to Run Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 is a demanding title. To run it well through CrossOver on a Mac, you'll want:

• 16GB+ of unified memory — The game itself recommends 8GB of VRAM and 16GB of system RAM on Windows. Since Apple Silicon shares memory between CPU and GPU, and CrossOver adds its own overhead, 16GB is the practical minimum on Mac. 32GB or more is ideal.
• Apple Silicon M-series chip — M1 Pro/Max or newer recommended for a smooth experience.
• Latest macOS — Tahoe users benefit from Metal 4 and DLSS mapping support, as community members have reported.
• CrossOver 26 — This specific version is required. Older versions of CrossOver will not work.

Note: If you have the base MacBook Neo with 8GB of RAM, Helldivers 2 is not a realistic option. Check out our MacBook Neo gaming guide for titles that fit that machine's specs.

The Full List of Newly Working Games

Helldivers 2 is the headline, but CrossOver 26 unlocked a massive wave of titles. Here's the full list CodeWeavers announced:

That's over 20 newly working titles in a single release. Several of these were previously among the most requested games in CrossOver's voting system, with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (61 votes) and Age of Empires IV (42 votes) trailing close behind Helldivers 2.

What Specs Do You Need?

These are demanding games, and running them through a compatibility layer adds overhead. Here's a realistic look at what hardware you need:

Minimum: 16GB Unified Memory

For most titles on the list above, 16GB of unified memory on an M-series Mac is the practical floor. Games like Age of Empires IV, Trails in the Sky, and PowerWash Simulator 2 should be comfortable here. Bigger titles will run but may need reduced settings.

Recommended: 24-32GB Unified Memory

For the heavy hitters — Helldivers 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Starfield, God of War Ragnarok — you'll want 24GB or more. Remember, Apple Silicon shares memory between CPU and GPU, and CrossOver adds its own layer of overhead. The more memory available, the smoother your experience.

Best Experience: M-series Pro/Max Chips

The higher GPU core counts on Pro and Max chips make a visible difference in frame rates. If you're gaming seriously on Mac, these chips are worth the investment.

macOS Matters

Community members have noted that macOS Tahoe brings Metal 4 improvements and DLSS mapping support that directly benefit CrossOver gaming. Running the latest macOS version is recommended for the best experience.

Got a MacBook Neo or another 8GB Mac? These titles aren't the best fit for that hardware, but there's still plenty to play. Check out our MacBook Neo gaming guide for games that match those specs.

How to Get Started

If you've got the hardware, getting these games running is straightforward:

1. Get CrossOver 26 — You need specifically CrossOver 26 or later. Older versions won't work for these titles. Purchase CrossOver here, or grab the 14-day free trial to test your games first.
2. Install Steam through CrossOver — CrossOver has a pre-configured Steam bottle that makes setup painless.
3. Install and launch your game — Most of the titles listed above should work out of the box with CrossOver 26's default settings.
4. Check the compatibility database — CrossOver's database has user reports and tips for specific titles. For games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, community tips about page file configuration can make the difference.

If you already have a CrossOver license with an active support entitlement, you can upgrade to version 26 for free through the app or by downloading from your CodeWeavers account.

Get CrossOver

What About Free Tools?

It's worth addressing whether free WINE-based tools can do the same thing. The short answer: not yet for these specific titles.

The anti-cheat breakthroughs in CrossOver 26 are built on CodeWeavers' proprietary patches and optimizations on top of upstream Wine. Free tools like Sikarugir, Heroic Games Launcher, and Mythic use open-source Wine builds that don't include these specific fixes. Over time, some improvements may trickle upstream — that's how the Wine ecosystem works — but for now, CrossOver is the only option for anti-cheat-protected games.

Free tools remain excellent for games that don't have anti-cheat requirements. Check our homepage recommendations for details on each option.

What's Coming Next

CodeWeavers has signaled that this is just the beginning. Their CrossOver Preview program — a channel for pushing out experimental features before they hit the stable release — is back in action after a hiatus during the CrossOver 26 beta period. They've mentioned having "some pretty cool stuff ready to ship."

The most voted-for games still in the pipeline include:

• Monster Hunter Wilds — 28 votes
• Arc Raiders — 24 votes
• Forza Horizon 5 — 24 votes

If CrossOver 26 is any indication, CodeWeavers is listening to their community and prioritizing the games people actually want to play.

The Bottom Line

CrossOver 26 is a landmark release for Mac gaming. The anti-cheat barrier — long the most frustrating limitation of running Windows games on Mac — has been significantly cracked open. Helldivers 2, God of War Ragnarok, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and over a dozen other AAA titles now work on Mac for the first time.

You need the hardware to back it up — 16GB minimum, 24-32GB recommended — but if you have a well-specced Mac, the gaming library available to you just got a lot bigger.

Get CrossOver to start playing, or grab the 14-day free trial to test things out first.