Albion Online Developer Sandbox Interactive Partners With Tencent ACE for Android Anti-Cheat
Sandbox Interactive has teamed up with Tencent Cloud and Tencent’s Anti-Cheat Expert (ACE) to bolster Android security for Albion Online, aiming to make mobile competitive play harder to cheat and easier to police. The companies formalized the agreement at Gamescom 2026, with the updated anti-cheat build planned for release later in 2026.
Background: a security push for growing mobile competition
Albion Online is a free-to-play sandbox MMORPG built around a fully player-driven economy and cross-platform play, spanning Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Xbox Series X|S, and iOS. As its mobile community has expanded, Sandbox Interactive says it identified a need to strengthen anti-cheat coverage on Android to protect fair competition and the integrity of the in-game marketplace dynamics.
ACE Anti-Cheat Standard for Android is designed to move beyond client-only protection by combining client telemetry with server-side validation. The stated goal is a more resilient, end-to-end anti-cheat loop that can better detect tampering and support more granular enforcement during competitive play.
What happened: signing, integration, and the planned Android rollout
- Sandbox Interactive, Tencent Cloud, and ACE reached the partnership stage and held a three-party signing ceremony during Gamescom 2026.
- Under the agreement, Albion Online will integrate the ACE Anti-Cheat Standard solution for Android.
- The new security integration is scheduled to launch globally in the third quarter of 2026.
- Sandbox Interactive previously began discussing the effort at Gamescom 2025, when its technical team attended an ACE-led security session while looking for a robust anti-cheat approach.
- After more than a year of technical evaluation, testing, and architectural alignment, ACE met Sandbox Interactive’s criteria for competency and support during the integration process.
Sandbox Interactive says the integration includes an ACE server-side detection layer for Android and adds additional security measures intended to harden code and improve protection against manipulation. The company also highlights ACE’s ban-management API and real-time match admission data as tools that can help it assess players more precisely.
Reaction: why the teams say the tech matters
Jon Davis, Technical Director at Sandbox Interactive, said that competitive play is central to Albion Online and that implementing ACE for Android is also improving server-side anti-cheat protection. He also emphasized the long-term priority of cross-validation between client and server.
Davis added that Tencent’s responsiveness helped the project stay on track, describing typical responses as arriving within minutes or hours rather than days, with engineers available throughout the multi-month integration to troubleshoot issues and share expertise.
Fred Sun, General Manager of Tencent Cloud Europe, stated that Tencent Cloud is committed to helping developers deliver fair and secure gaming experiences worldwide. He pointed to ACE as a blend of security capabilities and local compliance knowledge, and said the companies look forward to continuing their collaboration with European game studios.
Why this partnership is positioned as a milestone
The agreement is framed as an important step for ACE in the European market, and as an example of how mature third-party security infrastructure can support long-running, competitive MMORPGs. Sandbox Interactive’s stated focus is protecting the integrity of Albion Online’s competitive gameplay and player-driven economy while allowing its engineering team to concentrate on creating new player experiences.
