ACR Poker switches ScreenShield on by default for every Winning Poker Network player on 4 November 2026, in a client update that adds an in-client assistant, a rebuilt mobile lobby, Spin 2 Get In XL and a new card deck, according to release notes ACR published on 1 November.
Until now ScreenShield ran where WPN switched it on, starting with the September rollout to flagged accounts, or where a player asked support and waited up to 48 hours. With this update the default flips: it is on for everyone, and players who need screen capture turn it off.
What the 4 November ACR Poker Update Changes
ACR lists five changes in the release, and only one of them is about security. The other four are quality-of-life work on the client, from getting help without leaving the table to choosing how the cards look.
| Change | What it does | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| ScreenShield on by default | Blocks the screen-capture and screen-sharing methods it covers, while tables look normal to the player | Settings, ScreenShield |
| Assistant Client | A chat window that walks players through settings and features | Desktop and mobile client |
| Mobile lobby | Home screen grouped into Fast Lane, Poker Central and Action Central, with new cash-game filters | Mobile app |
| Spin 2 Get In XL | A spin-to-win panel with a wheel and a shot at a tournament entry | Tournament lobby and open tables |
| Ace card deck | A new deck design alongside the existing Classic option | Settings, Table Design |
Who Should Switch ScreenShield Off
Most players will notice nothing. ACR says tables still look and play normally with ScreenShield on, while protected table content is blocked from the capture and screen-sharing methods the feature covers.
Those capture methods have legitimate uses too, and WPN names four groups who may need the protection off:
- Streamers broadcasting their tables live.
- Players who record their own sessions to review later.
- Content creators cutting hands for videos or social posts.
- Players sharing their screen with a coach.
The control sits under Settings, ScreenShield in the client. ACR is careful about the limits. It describes ScreenShield as one more layer of table protection and makes no promise that it removes every security risk.
That caveat matters because the threat ScreenShield answers sat on players' own computers. The malware arrived through compromised versions of two third-party table tools, Jurojin and IntuitiveTables, which is why the Defender check for Mesh Agent is still worth running on any PC that has had them installed.
Why WPN Turned It On for Every Player
WPN first switched ScreenShield on for flagged accounts on 29 September, the day a security researcher published evidence of remote-access malware on high-stakes players' PCs. That first rollout was targeted at players whose devices met WPN's detection criteria for remote-access or screen-control software.
On 16 October, WPN announced the move to a network-wide default. The same release set out what its Game Integrity team had found when it went through the hands.
The team reviewed more than 2,000,000 hands from players whose devices had MeshAgent detected and found no evidence of hole-card knowledge being used on WPN. About 200,000 came from the Paul Gregg account behind the CoinPoker ban and the GGPoker warning.
WPN closed the Paul Gregg account on separate grounds. It says the decision followed its investigation and information from other operators, and is not linked to the hole-card finding.
WPN is also weighing a wider ban on third-party software running alongside its client, with no final policy adopted. It has shared how ScreenShield is built with other operators, and the feature is the newest layer in 25 years of ACR's fight against cheats and bots.
How Four Rooms Answered the Malware Case
WIRED put a figure on the losses in an investigation published after both announcements. Sources it cited estimated players' losses at $1.5 million to $4 million and said the compromised software may have reached more than 1,000 users; no operator has published a loss figure of its own.
Four rooms were named in that reporting, and each has responded differently. The table sets out what each one has done so far, in its own terms.
| Room | Response | Refunds |
|---|---|---|
| CoinPoker | Banned the account before the malware was made public | More than $100,000 returned to players |
| GGPoker | Banned third-party poker software on 15 October, adding win-rate anomaly detection and a Screen Guard client feature | Not reported |
| ClubWPT Gold | Banned an account | One affected customer reimbursed |
| ACR Poker (WPN) | Reviewed more than 2,000,000 hands, closed the account and made ScreenShield the default | None, after a review that found no hole-card use on WPN |
VIP-Grinders is an affiliate partner of ACR Poker, CoinPoker and GGPoker.
No room's own software has been shown to be compromised. The malware came in through tools players installed themselves, which is why the responses range from GGPoker's ban on third-party poker software to ACR's approach of blocking what outside programs can capture from the table.
The Other Four Changes in the Client
The rest of the update is aimed at everyday use. The new Assistant Client opens a chat window inside the client on desktop and mobile, where a player types a question and gets walked through the steps, such as changing the client language.
It sits beside the room's other experiment with automation, ACR's Skip-It tournaments played mostly by AI. On mobile, the home screen is now grouped into Fast Lane, Poker Central and Action Central.
The cash-game screens also gained filters for game type, betting structure, table size and stakes.
Spin 2 Get In XL adds a spin-to-win panel to the tournament lobby and to open tables. ACR says the offer and the amount depend on the event, so the details in the client are the ones that count.
The last change is cosmetic: an Ace card deck now sits beside the Classic design under Settings, Table Design.
What Comes Next for ACR Players
The next decision to watch is WPN's on third-party software, which would go further than any capture block. Nobody has been charged over the malware.
Players who stream, record or study with a coach should check the setting on their first session after 4 November, because the new default applies to every account. For the rest of the industry picture, follow the latest online poker news as it lands.
FAQs
Is ScreenShield on by default on ACR Poker?
Yes. From 4 November 2026, ScreenShield is switched on for every player on the Winning Poker Network, including ACR Poker, with no request to support needed.
How do I turn off ScreenShield on ACR Poker?
Open Settings in the ACR Poker client and go to the ScreenShield page, which has an on and off control. ACR says players who stream, record sessions or share their screen, for example with a coach, may need to switch it off.
Does ScreenShield stop all cheating?
No. ACR describes it as an extra layer of table protection against the screen-capture and screen-sharing methods it covers, not a promise that every security risk disappears.
Did ACR Poker refund players affected by the malware?
No. WIRED reported that ACR declined refunds, and WPN says its review of more than 2,000,000 hands from players with MeshAgent detected found no evidence of hole-card knowledge being used on its network.
What else is in the ACR Poker November update?
An in-client assistant, a reorganised mobile lobby with new cash-game filters, Spin 2 Get In XL in the tournament lobby and a new Ace card deck under Settings, Table Design.
