Riot Games recently released a new version of Vanguard, its kernel-level anti-cheat system. According to user @ogisadaDMA on X, the updated Vanguard can block “the vast majority of SATA/NVMe-based DMA firmware” — a common method used by cheaters to disguise their tools. Upon detecting such firmware, Vanguard triggers an IOMMU reboot warning; afterward, the DMA functionality becomes permanently disabled even after uninstalling Vanguard or closing the game. The only remedy is to reinstall Windows entirely. Notably, this mechanism activates regardless of whether the game is running, meaning Vanguard constantly operates in the background to scan for violations.
Amid numerous complaints — some questioning the legitimacy of Vanguard’s kernel-level privileges — Riot Games responded with just one sentence accompanied by images of ruined computers: “Congratulations to the owner of this brand-new $6,000 paperweight.” This isn’t the first controversy involving Vanguard: when launched alongside Valorant in 2020, it faced criticism over its kernel access rights, while its integration into League of Legends in 2024 led multiple users, including streamer Nick “LS” De Cesare, to report system malfunctions. Playing either game requires mandatory installation of Vanguard.