Recent testing revealed that Arch Linux, Pop!_OS, and even Nobara Linux, which is maintained by a single developer, all outstripped Windows for the performance crown on Windows-native games. The testing was run at the high-end of quality settings, and Valve's Proton was used to run Windows games on Linux.
“A rootkit is a collection of computer software, typically malicious, designed to enable access to a computer or an area of its software that is not otherwise allowed (for example, to an unauthorized user) and often masks its existence or the existence of other software.”
That’s the Wikipedia definition, in CompTIA Security+ the concept of the malware masking itself is quintessential to the definition of a rootkit. I hear this removed all the time from people on here who think anything that gets elevated privileges is a “rootkit” and hasn’t the slightest idea what the removed they’re talking about.
“But you don’t know if it could install a backdoor!”
You don’t know if half the removed you install is doing that either, or is Easy Anticheat known for doing this in some official investigation? Did someone find out that Activision is deploying malware in ricochet?
If not, you’re operating on suspicion that you don’t harbor for other software without evidence, based purely on things you’ve probably just barely heard about.
You should notice that I use the word “trust”. I install stuff on my servers and PCs from people who I trust. Why should I trust someone who makes an anticheat engine. Why should I have a reason to do that?
You should also understand that a kernel-level piece of code that can be updated is a very good rootkit. It contains all essential tools to modify hardware, kernel, install drivers, keyloggers etc. It satisfies the definition of “rootkit” very well.
One single piece of code is enough to be a rootkit.
Also definition by antimalware vendors:
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/definition/rootkit
https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-rootkit
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/rootkit-revealer#what-is-a-rootkit
Popular definition (e.g . Ionos):