Riot Vanguard
Kernel-level anti-cheat developed by Riot Games
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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]
League of Legends
| Riot Vanguard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original author | Riot Games |
| Developer | Riot Games |
| Release | April 7th, 2020 |
| Included with | Valorant League of Legends |
Kernel-level anti-cheat
On Windows, Vanguard runs primarily as a kernel-level anti-cheat to target more advanced cheating techniques.[4] This method runs at a lower system level than regular programs, which makes it more difficult for cheats to avoid detection. Kernel-level monitoring has been questioned because of its potential security risks.[5]
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.[5] Riot justifies kernel-level scanning despite such problems by claiming that this is the way that existing cheating practices can be detected.[6]
Vanguard On-Demand
Vanguard On-Demand, released June 24th, 2026, is an update which makes Vanguard only run when a game is open, and close afterwards. However, this is only possible with the following security requirements, collectively known as Vanguard Pre-Check requirements, enabled:[7]
- Windows 11 version 25H2 or newer
- Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0
- IOMMU
- Virtualization-Based Security (VBS)
- Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI)
According to Phillip Koskinas, the chief of anti-cheat at Riot Games, this feature was not possible at release as before this time, Windows and PC hardware have not had sufficient security features to make this possible.[8]
Input-output memory management
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.[9]
DMA cards are among the most widely documented methods of cheating in Valorant.[9] 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.[9][10] 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.[11]