On Thursday, Street Fighter V's first "season" concluded with a downloadable update that included the game's 22nd fighting character. (If you're curious: the new guy is Urien, a tall fellow who first appeared in Street Fighter III wearing only a thong.) But the download updated more than just the game's roster. It also brought apparent sweeping changes to the PC version—which now demands kernel access from players before every single boot of the game.

Windows' User Account Control (UAC) system warns computer users when an application wants to write or delete sensitive files, and, in the case of PC games, you typically only see these warnings during installations. SFV's Thursday patch, however, apparently includes "an updated anti-crack solution" that Capcom insists is "not DRM" but rather an anti-cheating protocol. The anti-crack solution is causing a UAC prompt to pop up for the PC version's users. (Our own Aurich Lawson confirmed the news by booting the latest patched version; his Windows prompt appears above.)

Unfortunately, Capcom's public-facing messages about PC version "hacks" have not been about cheats but about players finding workarounds to unlocking in-game content. In July, Capcom issued a stern warning to any PC player who found alternate ways to unlock Street Fighter's alternate costumes, which normally require grinding through the game's lengthy "survival" modes. Capcom producers also condemned PC players who used characters hidden in that game's version before they were officially released. Thursday's patch notes mentioned that the new anti-crack solution is particularly targeted at "illicitly obtaining in-game currency and other entitlements" (so it's, you know, DRM).

My review of Street Fighter V in February noted issues with Capcom's internally developed store and account systems, particularly since they lack any kind of username verification. Should a user's save files or system somehow be wiped, much of the game's currency-tied progress can be lost as a result. This update seems to drive home further issues with Capcom's store system, including an apparent lack of online verification and checks that other marketplaces, such as PlayStation Network and Steam, enjoy by default. Meaning, Capcom appears to be using a currency system that only requires client-side verification—and Capcom's current solution is to drill into a client's kernel access to make sure users are playing nice.

Fans have complained as a result, and more than a few report being wholly unable to boot the game after Thursday's patch went live. Capcom issued a vague acknowledgement on the game's Twitter account, telling fans, "We're currently investigating the issues surrounding the latest update to the PC version of SFV."

Update, 5:05 p.m. EDT: Hours after this story published, Capcom announced via the official Street Fighter Twitter account that it would reverse course. "We are in the process of rolling back the security measures added to the PC version of Street Fighter V," the update read. "We apologize for the inconvenience and will have an update on the time-frame for the PC rollback solution soon."