Riot Games Clarifies Vanguard Anti-Cheat Does Not Brick PCs

Riot Games Addresses Vanguard Anti-Cheat Hardware Concerns

Riot Games has released a statement addressing recent claims that its Vanguard anti-cheat software can damage computer hardware. The company firmly denies these allegations, clarifying that Vanguard is not designed to harm components or disable devices.

"Vanguard does not damage hardware or disable devices." — Riot Games

To illustrate their point, the company posted a photo showing cheat hardware devices used in VALORANT, not normal PC components. This visual aid was intended to clarify the distinction between legitimate hardware and cheating tools.

A recent update enforces the Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU), a standard security feature, specifically on accounts identified as using Direct Memory Access (DMA) cheating devices. These protections block DMA cheat devices from accessing memory in games.

If a cheat setup continues attempting to bypass these protections after IOMMU is enabled, the system may generate hardware faults or instability. This is expected behavior under IOMMU when attempts are made to read protected memory.

• Cheat Devices Blocked: Disabling IOMMU would allow the cheat device to function again, but IOMMU will still be required to play VALORANT.
• No Impact on Legitimate Users: The company stated this functionality only applies to systems using DMA cheat devices. Players not using DMA-based cheat setups are not affected.

Riot Games emphasized that this measure is a targeted protection against cheating hardware, not a general system restriction.