GameIndustry hosts Templates

Unique hosts templates to enhance own privacy in games, websites and regulary software

Report a bug · Support: Discussions · Deutsch

📝 Project Description

In today's digital environment, business analytics, spyware, and tracking cookies in games and clients are often tacitly accepted and imposed on consumers in a pervasive manner.

My published hosts files offer enhanced privacy protection to shield users from tracking, spyware, telemetry, malware, advertising, and redirections in games, on websites and in regular programs on both desktop and mobile systems.

No third-party programs or complex or expensive installation media (PI-Hole) are required.

Special features:

• Works on any device. System-wide
• Blocked entries for over 1810 games and software, including the most important gaming clients of today.
• 50000 lines
• Regular updates.
• Entries for software, games, websites, and IoT.
• Privacy-infringing tech companies like Facebook are blocked.
• A significant number of outgoing connections from Windows (xx) and Microsoft games is blocked.
• Strict policy with no exceptions for large corporations.
• Modular design - Choose only the entries you need.
• All entries are categorized by product names, publishers, website & company names.
• Comments and additional information for several entries (in German).
• All products are separated, to inform consumers about the associations between products.
• Additional IPv4 and IPv6 entries to block them in your firewall.

Hosts versions

• Main Template: software, websites, drivers, technology companies, gaming clients, games, and more.
• Gaming Mini-Template: Blocks most common game analytics, spyware, and advertising services in PC games. Nothing else.
• Gaming Full-Template: Blocks telemetry, game analytics, spyware, and unnecessary connections for gaming clients and games on and for various platforms.
• Android Mini-Template: Blocks most common game analytics, advertising, spyware, and advertising services in Android games and software.
• Android Full-Template: Obsolete - Removed from the repository on 13.01.2024.

And many more on gameindustry.eu

📖 Installation

Please be aware that the hosts may be read-only or require root privileges depending on your system.

More information:

Source: How to edit the hosts file

Easy to use Setup file:

An easy-to-use hosts file setup has been created. Start your setup, choose one of 5 templates, and install.
Source: GameIndustry Downloads

Supports German, English, and Japanese languages.

Latest Screenshot:

⚠ Things to be considered

Blocking program components can lead to both desired and undesired outcomes. Here are some important considerations:

Potential Issues with Certain Programs:

As I target connections per product, including duplicating entries and strictly blocking "critical" processes (e.g., Windows telemetry, some activation services), challenges may arise. Manufacturers often disapprove of this method, and might initiate actions leading to the deletion or significant modification of the hosts file without notification.

• Kaspersky Internet Security requires an exception rule.
• Microsoft Windows Defender requires an exception rule.
• IoBIT Driver Booster tends to delete most AWS entries (Block "FaultFixes.exe" to prevent unwanted hosts changes).
• Wise Care 365 may also modify the hosts file.
• Malwarebytes generates false alerts when certain entries are present and may alter the hosts file.

If you use any of these programs, carefully monitor the permissions they require, the error messages they produce, and the files they modify.

Remember, security doesn't always equate to safety in the way end-users expect. Often, manufacturers and publishers who promise security act in their own interest.

Note on Valve Corporation's GDS Connections - Oct. 2021

This service is deemed non-essential. Entries related to it can be ignored or removed using "Search and Replace" functions. 215 products (updated Jan. 2024) are affected.

❗ Tips:

Careful with using entries. Some may be strict and many services may not work

🐞 Bugs, Mistakes, questions:

Even I am not infallible and errors in entries or typos may occur. If you find any, please do not hesitate to contact me ASAP - Open a ticket, contact me on Steam, or through my website. Corrections (if needed) will be promptly implemented.

🔖 Donations:

For those who wish to support me and my project, a donation page is available.

© Copyright, Support & License

This project is the work of a single individual. Creating and maintaining this list has been a years-long endeavor, involving significant time and financial investment, and was built from the ground up by me alone.

GameIndustry.eu is the original source for these published hosts files. If you find these files (or components thereof) elsewhere (possibly modified), they are not my work and therefore not supported by me.

Website & Support: GameIndustry.eu and Contact site
F.A.Q. :F.A.Q.
Steam Group & Support: Spyware in Spielen? Nein danke!

License: Creative Commons by-nc-sa 4.0

🚨 Caution Against Unauthorized Copies

Please be aware that there may be imitators or unauthorized uses of this work, which would violate the principles of fair use and copyright law.

Imposters and thiefs like "Chef-Koch" on Gitlab can go to hell. Using other people's work and passes off other people's work as own creation is the lowest. Especially then if act too stupidly.

If you encounter any instances of copyright violation regarding my work, please report them through the provided contact options or directly here.

Thank you.