Riot Games Eases Anti-Cheat Woes with On-Demand Vanguard Feature
Riot Games is shaking things up with its Vanguard anti-cheat system! Starting today, players will have the ability to run Vanguard on-demand, meaning it won’t automatically launch when your PC starts up. Instead, it will only kick in when you’re actually playing a game, and will shut down right after you’re done. This update is a huge relief for many gamers who found Vanguard’s initial launch in 2020 a bit too intrusive, given its deep access to your PC’s hardware.
Previously, Vanguard launched in kernel mode, which means it was always running in the background, causing some concern among players about privacy. Other games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty have already adopted a similar approach where the anti-cheat only operates while the game is actively being played. Now, League of Legends and Valorant players can enjoy the same flexibility, but with a few conditions attached.
Riot’s anti-cheat chief, Phillip Koskinas, announced this exciting change, stating that the new “on-demand” feature will be available to players using PCs that meet specific security standards. To opt into this feature, players will need to enable various security settings on their systems, including Windows 11 version 25H2 or later, along with UEFI Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, VBS, HVCI, and IOMMU. Sounds technical, right? But don’t worry, most players won’t need to dive deep into the technical details to set it up.
Interestingly, around 35% of Riot’s player base already meets these new requirements, so for a lot of you, the on-demand option will pop up automatically once the update rolls out. However, if you’re among the 3% using older hardware, you may not get access to this feature until you decide to upgrade your setup.
The team at Riot seems pretty chill about this change, emphasizing that players who are satisfied with Vanguard’s current setup can continue as they have been. “We’re not forcing anyone to make changes,” Koskinas reassured. “We’ll let the ecosystem mature.”
He also mentioned that the delay in introducing the on-demand option was due to advancements in PC security features from Microsoft and hardware manufacturers. They’ve been working hard to ensure that the necessary security measures are in place for a safe gaming environment, and this collaboration has finally made it possible.
As gaming evolves and anti-cheat measures grow more sophisticated, Riot is committed to enhancing its systems while keeping player experience in mind. So whether you’re a casual player or a competitive gamer, you can look forward to a smoother experience with Vanguard. Just remember, if you’re happy with how things are, feel free to carry on gaming without a worry!