Riot Games Vanguard Anti-Cheat Bricks DMA Cheating Hardware

Riot Games has updated its Vanguard anti-cheat system to target Direct Memory Access hardware cheats. The company released this update on May 21, 2026. The new tools operate at the kernel level of the operating system. This allows the software to detect external cheating devices that connect directly to a computer's memory.

Riot Games upgraded kernel-level anti-cheat to target Direct Memory Access firmware cheats and block communication between cheating devices and the PC.

The updated system works with motherboard manufacturers MSI, ASUS, and ASRock. These partners helped improve detection methods for specific cheat hardware. Vanguard can now block communication between a cheating device and the PC. This action leaves the DMA hardware unusable unless the user completely reinstalls Windows.

Riot Games stated that these new tools render expensive cheating hardware useless. The company jokingly referred to some of these setups as six thousand dollar paperweights after the update took effect. Some users report being unable to boot into Windows following the change. These reports remain anecdotal and lack technical verification from Riot.

This software update directly impacts competitive integrity in Valorant. Kernel-level anti-cheat systems have become standard for major online titles. The collaboration with motherboard makers suggests a hardware-focused approach to fighting cheats. Riot Games has not confirmed if this detection method will expand to other games.