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Riot Vanguard
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| Riot Vanguard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original author | Riot Games |
| Developer | Riot Games |
| Initial release | April 7th, 2020 |
| Included with | Valorant League of Legends |
Riot Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat developed by Riot Games. Vanguard initially released as the anti-cheat used for Valorant on April 7th, 2020.[1] Originally designed for Windows only alongside Valorant, the console edition of Valorant released in June 2024 has an anti-cheat using the same branding, however this anti-cheat functions very differently.[2] Vanguard has received much criticism because of its intrusive nature. Vanguard was introduced into League of Legends on April 11th, 2024.[3]
Features
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2025) |
Client-side defenses
[edit]Riot's anti-cheat solution has client-side protections that actively observe the game for any suspicious behavior. These protections are essential in identifying game client modifications or efforts to inject code to alter the game. Riot's system operates behind the scenes, actively detecting and preventing cheats like aimbots, wallhacks, and other client-side modifications. The system employs methods for identifying normal player behavior against behavior that constitutes cheating.[4]
Kernel-level anti-cheat
[edit]On top of client-side protections, Riot introduced a kernel-level anti-cheat to target more advanced cheating techniques.[5] This method runs at a lower system level, which makes it more difficult for cheats to avoid detection. Kernel-level monitoring has been questioned because of its potential security risks.[6]
Critics have stated that providing the anti-cheat system with higher system privileges could be vulnerable since the higher access could be exploited by attackers.[6] Riot justifies kernel-level scanning despite such problems by claiming that this is the way that existing cheating practices can be detected.[7]
Ongoing monitoring and updates
[edit]Vanguard is supported by constant monitoring and continuous updates. The anti-cheat team provides patches on a frequent basis to counter new cheating techniques. For example, the Winter 2021 update for Valorant included enhanced anti-cheat capabilities, adding detection and blocking of previously undetectable cheats. Riot's approach emphasizes proactive initiatives, with constant updates to stay ahead of cheaters and reduce the impact of cheating on the game. In a workshop on anti-cheat systems in 2024, Collins et al. discussed Riot's system as a potential means of balancing the demands of cheat prevention and player experience.
Controversy
[edit]On May 19th, 2026, Riot Games released an update for Vanguard that enabled the Input–output memory management unit (IOMMU), a memory management unit which protects memory from malicious Direct Memory Access (DMA) cards, for accounts flagged as having used DMA cheats.[8]
DMA cards are among the most widely documented methods of cheating in Valorant.[8] They work by directly reading and/or modifying the game's memory, which is why enabling IOMMU causes this method to stop working. Shortly after the update's release, Riot Games posted on their official X account congratulating the owners of a "brand new $6,000 paperweight," referring to the now-useless DMA devices.[8][9] The post caused concern among players that Vanguard was capable of permanently damaging hardware, which Riot denied, stating that they "would not and cannot" use Vanguard to brick personal computers.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "What is Vanguard?". Riot Games Valorant Support. 5 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Vanguard x VALORANT". playvalorant.com. 2024-09-20. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Brandon (29 April 2024). "Riot Requires Kernel Level Anti-Cheat Software". Tutanota. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "/dev: Vanguard x LoL". leagueoflegends.com. 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ^ Robinson, Craig. "Riot's Vanguard update has BSOD cheater hardware after nuking DMA cheat systems". Esports News. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ^ a b Orland, Kyle. "Ring 0 of fire: Does Riot Games' new anti-cheat measure go too far?". Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ^ "Riot Vanguard FAQ (League of Legends)". Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ^ a b c Cripe, Michael. "Riot Games Says It 'Would Not and Cannot' Use Vanguard Anti-Cheat to Brick PCs After Rumors Spread". Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ^ Zollner, Amelia. "Riot Says Its Valorant Anti-Cheat Update Can't Brick PCs After A Joke Fuels Panic". Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ^ Guimarães, Sofia. "Riot Games "bricks" $6,000 DMA cheating devices? Vanguard explained and response". Retrieved 25 May 2026.
Further reading
[edit]- Dorner, Christoph; Klausner, Lukas Daniel (2024-07-30). "If It Looks Like a Rootkit and Deceives Like a Rootkit: A Critical Examination of Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat Systems". Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security. ARES '24. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 1–11. arXiv:2408.00500. doi:10.1145/3664476.3670433. ISBN 979-8-4007-1718-5.
- "Riot's Approach to Anti-Cheat". 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- "VALORANT Anti-cheat: Winter Update". 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- Collins, Sam; Poulopoulos, Alex; Muench, Marius; Chothia, Tom (2024-11-19). "Anti-Cheat: Attacks and the Effectiveness of Client-Side Defences". Proceedings of the 2024 Workshop on Research on offensive and defensive techniques in the context of Man At The End (MATE) attacks. CheckMATE '24. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 30–43. doi:10.1145/3689934.3690816. ISBN 979-8-4007-1230-2.
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