Short answer: Is ReShade bannable? It depends on the game, and only the game’s publisher and its anti-cheat vendor can answer for a specific title. ReShade itself says it automatically disables depth access during multiplayer, and that its “full add-on support” build is unsigned. BattlEye’s FAQ says tools “like Reshade or SweetFX are generally supported unless desired otherwise by the game developers.” Square Enix prohibits all third-party tools in Final Fantasy XIV. Bungie says Destiny 2 resists any code inserted into the game. If a game has no published policy, there is no official answer, and we won’t guess one for you.
What ReShade says about online games
ReShade is a free, open-source post-processing injector by crosire. It adds effects such as ambient occlusion, depth of field and color correction to games that use Direct3D 9 to 12, OpenGL or Vulkan. The current version is 6.8.0, released on August 2, 2026.
ReShade’s homepage makes three statements that matter for online play:
- Depth is switched off in multiplayer. ReShade gives effects access to frame color and depth information, but says the depth part “is automatically disabled during multiplayer to prevent exploitation.” Depth data is what could reveal things a player shouldn’t see, so this is ReShade’s own safeguard.
- The add-on build is different. ReShade 5.0 added an add-on API that lets add-ons extend both ReShade and the game. The homepage says this “is only enabled in the ReShade build with full add-on support, which is unsigned.”
- Get it from reshade.me. The download section says: “Do NOT share the binaries or shader files. Link users to this website instead.”
The ReShade forum’s pinned troubleshooting FAQ adds two practical points. It says ReShade “automatically disables depth access in every game that make use of network activity,” so depth effects may flicker or stop working online. It also says some anti-cheat systems can flag ReShade as untrusted, which “often happens when a new ReShade version is released, waiting to be whitelisted.” Its advice in that case is to install an older version or uninstall ReShade.
Notice what ReShade does not say. It doesn’t promise that any game allows it, and it doesn’t keep a list of games where it’s banned. That decision belongs to each publisher.
Standard build vs. the “full add-on support” build
| Standard build | Full add-on support build | |
|---|---|---|
| Download label on reshade.me | Download ReShade 6.8.0 | Download ReShade 6.8.0 with full add-on support |
| Add-on API | Not fully enabled | Enabled |
| Signed | Yes, the homepage lists an X.509 thumbprint | No. ReShade calls this build “unsigned” |
| Depth access in multiplayer | Automatically disabled | ReShade’s homepage makes no separate statement |
If you only want color and sharpening presets, the standard build is the one ReShade labels without qualification. The add-on build exists for add-ons that change how the game renders. Read any add-on’s own documentation before you install it, and check the game’s rules before you use either build in a multiplayer game.
What anti-cheat vendors say
BattlEye. BattlEye’s FAQ answers the “can I get banned for software XY” question directly. It says BattlEye generally only bans “for the use of actual cheats/hacks or components of such hacks.” It then names ReShade: “non-cheat overlays and visual enhancement tools like Reshade or SweetFX are generally supported unless desired otherwise by the game developers.” In the same sentence, the FAQ says the two are “currently blocked in PUBG, Fortnite and Islands of Nyne.” It also says BattlEye might kick, not ban, a player for a specific program.
Easy Anti-Cheat. The Easy Anti-Cheat account on X replied to a Dead by Daylight player on October 27, 2017: “SweetFX / ReShade is allowed and will not cause any bans.” That reply is about one game and is several years old. We did not find a current, general ReShade policy page from Easy Anti-Cheat, so treat that reply as history, not a rule for every game that uses it.
Both vendors leave the final say to the developer. A game can block ReShade even when the anti-cheat doesn’t object to it.
What game publishers say
These are the publishers whose written positions we could find and read. Each statement is quoted from the publisher’s own page.
| Game | Publisher’s position | Names ReShade? |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy XIV | “The use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited.” Accounts found using them are suspended or, for repeat offenses, permanently banned (Naoki Yoshida, Lodestone, May 9, 2022). | No. The ban covers all third-party tools. |
| Destiny 2 | Bungie says it resists “attempts by third-party applications to insert code into the game client.” It won’t ban for common apps such as Discord, OBS or RTSS, but reserves the right to act against apps used to break its rules. | No |
| Guild Wars 2 | ArenaNet bans programs that give “an unintended, unnatural, or unfair advantage.” For utilities that don’t, it “will not take action” in general, but “action is subject to ArenaNet’s discretion.” | No |
| PUBG, Fortnite | Named by BattlEye’s FAQ as games where ReShade and SweetFX are “currently blocked.” | Yes, in BattlEye’s FAQ |
Square Enix explains why it won’t publish an allow list. Yoshida wrote that defining which tools are permissible “would require an assessment of all third-party tools available on the internet,” which is “physically impossible.” So the rule is a blanket ban. The same post asks players not to download “third-party tools or software of unknown origins,” because of password-stealing malware.
Bungie’s article is about technical blocking as much as bans. Because Destiny 2 resists code insertion, injected tools may simply not work. Bungie also says bans “are not applied automatically” and that it reviews possible violations first.
Is ReShade bannable if your game has no published policy?
Most games have no page that mentions ReShade at all. In that case, the honest answer is that there is no official position. That doesn’t mean it’s allowed, and it doesn’t mean it’s banned.
What you can do without guessing:
- Read the game’s terms of service or code of conduct for rules on third-party software, and search the publisher’s support site for “third-party.”
- Check which anti-cheat the game uses and read that vendor’s own FAQ, as with BattlEye above.
- Ask the publisher’s support team and keep their written reply.
- If you get no answer, don’t use ReShade in that game’s online modes. Single-player games without online anti-cheat are the case ReShade’s safeguards are built around.
We don’t cover ways to hide ReShade from anti-cheat, rename its files to avoid detection, or get around a block. If a game blocks it, the publisher has answered the question.
How to get ReShade only from reshade.me
ReShade’s official site is reshade.me, and its source code is on GitHub at github.com/crosire/reshade. The download buttons on reshade.me link to reshade.me/downloads/ReShade_Setup_6.8.0.exe and the add-on version at ReShade_Setup_6.8.0_Addon.exe. Our ReShade download page points to the same place.
To check the standard installer:
- Right-click the file and open Properties > Digital Signatures.
- Open the signature’s certificate and compare its thumbprint with the one reshade.me lists:
589690208A5E52FB96980C4A6698F50ACD47C49F. - Don’t expect a signature on the add-on build. ReShade says it is unsigned, so the only safe source for it is reshade.me itself.
Setup needs Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10 or 11 and .NET Framework 4.8, per the homepage. Presets are shared as .ini files, which you create from ReShade’s in-game menu. A “ReShade” download that comes bundled with a preset pack, a mod manager or a file host is not the official build. Our guide to fake download sites explains how to spot these.
What this page is not
- It’s not a guarantee. Policies change, and anti-cheat software updates without notice. We quote what each company says on the date we checked.
- It’s not a list of every game. We only list positions we could read on the publisher’s or vendor’s own pages.
- It’s not advice on avoiding detection. We don’t provide that for any game.
Other tools that inject into games raise the same question. See Is OptiScaler safe? and Is DLSS Swapper safe? for what those developers say about online games.
Questions
Can you get banned for using ReShade?
In some games, yes. Final Fantasy XIV prohibits all third-party tools, and BattlEye’s FAQ says ReShade is blocked in PUBG and Fortnite. In games without a policy, there’s no official answer.
Does BattlEye allow ReShade?
BattlEye says visual tools like ReShade “are generally supported unless desired otherwise by the game developers.”
Is ReShade allowed in Final Fantasy XIV?
No. Square Enix says the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited and doesn’t make exceptions for specific tools.
Is ReShade allowed in Destiny 2?
Bungie doesn’t name ReShade. It says Destiny 2 resists third-party code inserted into the game, and it reserves the right to act against apps used to break its rules.
Why don’t my depth effects work in online games?
ReShade automatically disables depth access during multiplayer and in games with network activity, to prevent exploitation.
What is the ReShade “full add-on support” build?
A separate download that enables ReShade’s full add-on API. ReShade says this build is unsigned.
Is the ReShade add-on version more likely to get me banned?
ReShade doesn’t publish a statement comparing the two builds on ban risk. Check the game’s own policy either way.
Why did my anti-cheat flag ReShade after an update?
The ReShade forum FAQ says anti-cheat systems sometimes flag a new ReShade version until it’s whitelisted.
Where is the official ReShade download?
Only reshade.me. The site asks people not to share the binaries and to link to the website instead.
Is ReShade free?
Yes. It’s open source under the BSD 3-clause license.
Sources
- ReShade (version 6.8.0, add-on build, signature thumbprint), reshade.me, checked September 26, 2026
- ReShade 6.8 changelog, ReShade forum (crosire)
- FAQ: Easy Troubleshooting, ReShade forum
- crosire/reshade source code, GitHub
- BattlEye FAQ, BattlEye
- Easy Anti-Cheat reply on ReShade (October 27, 2017), X
- Regarding Third-party Tools (Naoki Yoshida, May 9, 2022), Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone
- Destiny 2 PC and Third-Party Application Feature Compatibility, Bungie Help
- Policy: Third-Party Programs, Guild Wars 2 Support
