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We all remember a time when playing a game on PC was quite simple and straightforward. It didn’t require a bunch of security tests or background updates that might mess up my desktop. However, now, launching a Riot Games title feels less like playing a game for fun and more like submitting my PC for a security audit.
Let me start off by saying that, yes, cheating does ruin games, and no one likes cheaters. Nobody likes practicing their favourite game for hours on end just for someone using an aimbot to take them down with ease. But taking a look at Riot Games’ new Vanguard anti-cheat rules, it feels like the honest majority of players are being forced to carry the burden of a war against a small group of cheaters and are instead feeling the effects of a bricked developer, maybe too deep.
Riot’s Anti-Cheat Is Starting to Feel Weirdly Invasive to Regular Players
Most gamers have accepted the fact that anti-cheat programs like Easy Anti-Cheat and Denuvo Anti-Cheat need access to our computers to stop hackers from ruining games. But now Riot has gone a step further. Instead of just watching for cheating software, the Vanguard Anti-Cheat is now dictating how our computer hardware must work, especially in titles like Valorant.
Riot Games is trying its best to block advanced cheating methods, and, because of this, Vanguard locks you out of Valorant if your basic computer settings don’t match its strict requirements. This makes it so that a regular player looking to kick back and enjoy a few matches after work has to solve complicated computer errors.
This even includes updating your motherboard’s basic software, an inherently risky practice if your computer loses power during the update. You don’t need me to tell you how, when a game makes you change your computer’s settings just to bypass a security check, something feels out of place.
Is Riot’s Vanguard Secretly Into Bricking PCs?
The Vanguard Anti-Cheat situation has gotten even scarier for regular players with recent reports of how Riot Games is fighting advanced hardware cheats. Lately, hackers have been using special plugin cards (called DMA cards) to bypass Vanguard’s software checks and steal game data directly from the computer’s memory. Without a doubt, this is a matter of great concern. Epic Games recently took action against these cheats as well, making TPM and Secure Boot mandatory for Fortnite tournaments.
congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k paperweight https://t.co/3rjZVQntrc pic.twitter.com/fS3JC0FL0p
— Riot Games (@riotgames) May 21, 2026
To stop this, Vanguard will now aggressively interact with your computer hardware directly. This means that if Vanguard suspects a player of cheating, Riot can directly make your hardware unusable. Recently, Riot Games staff even went as far as mocking cheat creators online. The official X account for Riot Games poked fun at a hacker claiming their system was ruined by the new update, stating, “Congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k paperweight.”
Now, following the concern shown by players, Riot has issued an official statement addressing claims that Vanguard is bricking PCs. Riot clarified that the picture from the infamous X post was not of a normal PC. Rather, the image featured separate DMA cheating devices. Riot’s most recent Vanguard update specifically counters these DMA devices with a security feature called the Input-Output Memory Management Unit, or IOMMU.
Well, that escalated quickly.
There’s been a wave of claims by cheaters about Vanguard “bricking” their PCs, so let’s clear that up: Vanguard does not damage hardware or disable your devices.
The photo we posted is a picture of cheat hardware devices that are sold explicitly… https://t.co/dXb75Z91k9
— Riot Games (@riotgames) May 22, 2026
The statement makes it clear that this feature is native to new computer builds and isn’t something that is added externally. If the IOMMU is enabled and the cheat device tries to access the protected memory, the DMA hardware may fault out or not work properly. Riot was adamant on the fact that this damage doesn’t extend to other components of players’ PCs, and the function only applies to systems that are explicitly utilizing the DMA cheating device.
This clarification does put some of the frightening concerns to rest. However, it still doesn’t fully remove the issues with Vanguard. The increasing amount of hardware/software prerequisites a normal player has to meet just to be able to play a game feels tiring. Regardless of whether Vanguard bricked anything, the complex set of rules that an honest player has to follow still needs a critical eye.
The core of the problem still exists. Valorant players are being forced to run a highly aggressive corporate security program just to play a free-to-play shooter. The game is no longer just a fun tactical shooter, but rather software that actively monitors your entire system. Even if you have never cheated in your life, Vanguard could just reject your settings if it deems them “too open.”
Yes, we need fair games and a fair environment for players to have fun. Yes, developers should absolutely fight back against hackers to the best of their ability. However, right now, the balance feels broken. It feels less like Riot is protecting the game for the players and more like we are paying the price for the people trying to ruin it.
How do you feel about Riot’s measures to fight against hackers? Let us know in the comments below!
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