The game’s anti-tamper system does not like software that controls your hardware peripherals because they often inject code into the game to display lighting effects.

: Antivirus programs (like Avast, Bitdefender, or Kaspersky) and firewalls often flag game files or processes incorrectly.

Third-party antivirus programs like Avast , Bitdefender , and Kaspersky often flag the game's activity as malicious.

: Third-party overlays from Steam, Discord, or Nvidia, and performance tools like MSI Afterburner, can trigger detection.

This fix solves the error for 40% of users. You must close background processes.

Buy the game for its content, but be aware you may spend hours troubleshooting a problem that shouldn’t exist in 2025.

"Tampering detected" - II - Discussion - Age of Empires Forum