Riot Vanguard is a custom anti-cheat software developed by Riot Games, and it is specifically designed for Valorant. Let's learn a bit more about it!
Cheating has always been a problem in First-Person-Shooter games; just look at the state of Counter-Strike. And honestly, Valorant would probably never have been this big if Riot Games hadn't taken decent care of this aspect. Luckily, they came up with Riot Vanguard, which performs quite well and makes cheaters not a significant problem in the game (smurfs are already a bigger one). So, let's see what Riot Vanguard actually is and why it works so well!
What is Riot Vanguard & How It Works?
Essentially, Riot Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat system, which means that the software has complete access to the computer's hardware and software. And now you might be like, "hey, hey, but what about my privacy?" — no worries, Riot is assuring that Vanguard only accesses the bare minimum required to function, and it does not collect any personal data or information from the user's computer.
One of the primary methods that Riot Vanguard uses to detect cheats is client-side detection. What it actually means is that the anti-cheat system continuously monitors the user's computer for any signs of cheating. It does that by scanning your entire PC for any modifications made to the game files or code.
Moreover, Riot Vanguard checks the internet connection to ensure that there are no suspicious network packets being sent or received. Yup, that's how hardcore it is.
So, how does the anti-cheat system decide to ban a player? Well, the game server has a complete view of the game and can detect any abnormalities in the gameplay. In short, if the server detects any suspicious activity, it can alert the anti-cheat system, which will then investigate further.
And if Riot Vanguard detects cheating, it can automatically ban the player from the game in no time. The ban can be either temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the cheating.
Can You Play Valorant Without Riot Vanguard?
There is no way to play Valorant without Riot Vanguard running. Riot Games has a zero-tolerance policy towards cheating and takes it very seriously; like, super seriously. That said, if Riot Vanguard encounters ANY (!!!) problems, you might not be able to even launch the game. In fact, because Riot Vanguard is not compatible with the M1 & M2 processors from Apple, you can't play Valorant on a new Mac device, which is pretty much the main reason.
As a person who played CS:GO for countless hours, I can personally tell you one thing – it's a good thing that Riot Vanguard is there and works the way it does. It is also worth mentioning that this anti-cheat gets regular updates, and there's no denying for their effectiveness. But well, too bad there is no anti-toxic software for Valorant, that would be something.
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