Since EAC doesn't allow other games to run while BDO is open (See Genshin Impact, Lost Ark, or other games with EAC) the AFK community has dropped considerably. There are fewer ships bartering, fewer people by the warehouses, fishing, with alchemy or cooking.
Only in the last 30 days, and only with the Steam Client, that rate is about -11,20% concurrent players.

I know that this is not only about EAC, and that the rate fluctuates... but is doing a great damage to afk players...

I've even noticed less people chatting in the general chat.

So you post it here ? On a forum with updated EAC rather than post in on forum of that games that don't care to update EAC ? Because games with same version on EAC working together.

Go to your crap games forum and ask them to update EAC rather that ask BDO to downgrade or even remove EAC.

Also less AFK more FPS in town, that's good.

Do you know that most of the player base in BDO is afk don't you?
Genshin Impact by example does not use EAC but can't be played if BDO is open because EAC blocks it.

It's not about others games that can or can't be played, is about BDO losing player base because of that.

"Go to your crap games forum", is a good way to throw stones over the roof, but they are not losing player base because they don't incentivate that afk community. I'm not asking a downgrade, I'm only exposing the problem.
The player base is not so low since December (2019).

On a similar note, the EAC is also what stopping BDO from running nativly on the steam deck, Wich is a shame

BDO won't run in Linux beacause of  this. I had been playing since launch and now having made the move from Windows to Linux, I'm effectively locked out. And I was never AFK. I miss BDO, but not the lovely folks who reply to posts in the forum.

Since EAC doesn't allow other games to run while BDO is open (See Genshin Impact, Lost Ark, or other games with EAC) the AFK community has dropped considerably. There are fewer ships bartering, fewer people by the warehouses, fishing, with alchemy or cooking.
Only in the last 30 days, and only with the Steam Client, that rate is about -11,20% concurrent players.

I know that this is not only about EAC, and that the rate fluctuates... but is doing a great damage to afk players...

easy anti cheat problem exist since several months, it is not something new

i would wait until first october before to be sure pop dropped by 11%

and catdk probably gave you best answer

electricity bill

and anyway lost ark look worst

https://steamcharts.com/app/1599340