Nova AntiCheat review
A learning-oriented, self-hosted choice for narrow legacy combat detection.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Nova AntiCheat is an open-source, self-hosted Minecraft anti-cheat system for newcomers and small servers. Created as a learning-oriented successor to Medusa, it focuses on understanding and implementing combat detection rather than covering a broad range of server protections. Its verified scope is Minecraft 1.8, with detection centered on reach, aim, and hit-box violations. The vendor also presents it as suitable for live-server deployment, while the linked repository frames it as an educational project rather than a fully featured production anti-cheat.
Its strongest area is the depth of its combat checks within that narrow scope. Reach and hit-box checking use transaction-confirmed tracking and interpolation, while aim checks analyze rotation and sensitivity. Modular check and tracker handlers provide a structured foundation for extending or examining detection logic. Main-thread packet and check processing, safe defaults, and check buffers are also part of the design, with buffers intended to reduce false positives. Configurable alert formatting gives server operators control over how detections are presented.
Nova AntiCheat fits operators who want open-source code, self-hosted deployment, and a focused reference for legacy combat detection. Its documentation channel supports the learning-oriented use case, and the project’s small-server focus keeps the intended audience clear. It is less suitable for servers that require support beyond Minecraft 1.8, broader detection coverage, or a fully featured production anti-cheat. Choose it for studying or operating a narrowly scoped reach, aim, and hit-box system; choose an alternative when wider version coverage or a broader protection set matters more.
Nova AntiCheat pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Transaction-confirmed reach and hit-box checks with interpolation
- Aim analysis using rotation and sensitivity data
- Modular checks, buffers, and configurable alerts
- Where it doesn't
- Verified Minecraft support is limited to version 1.8
- Detection focuses on reach, aim, and hit-box violations
- The project is not positioned as a fully featured production anti-cheat
Nova AntiCheat fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update