Riot Games has publicly responded to growing backlash surrounding a recent update to Vanguard, the kernel-level anti-cheat software used in Valorant, after claims spread online suggesting the software was “bricking” gaming PCs and disabling expensive hardware setups.
The controversy started following a May 19 update that appeared to target DMA (direct memory access) devices using SATA and NVMe firmware methods. Shortly after the update rolled out, social media platforms and gaming forums were flooded with reports from users claiming certain devices stopped functioning correctly while attempting to launch Valorant.
The situation escalated even further after Riot posted a sarcastic social media message aimed at cheat hardware users, referring to blocked DMA devices as “a brand new $6k paperweight.” While the post was clearly intended to mock cheat developers and users relying on DMA-based exploits, many players interpreted it as confirmation that Vanguard was actively disabling hardware.
Riot Says Vanguard Does Not Damage Hardware
Riot later clarified that Vanguard does not physically damage components, permanently disable storage devices, or brick PCs. According to the studio, the update simply enforces additional security protections on systems detected using DMA-related cheat hardware.
The company explained that Vanguard now requires IOMMU protections to remain enabled in order for Valorant to launch on affected systems. IOMMU is designed to restrict unauthorized memory access between hardware devices and the operating system, something DMA cheat hardware often relies on to bypass anti-cheat detection.
Riot also stated that users can still use their DMA devices normally outside of Valorant by disabling IOMMU, though the game itself will refuse to launch without the protection active. The company emphasized multiple times that no hardware is being destroyed or permanently disabled.
A follow-up FAQ published by Riot repeated the same clarification and pushed back against rumors claiming the anti-cheat software was causing irreversible damage to gaming systems.
DMA Cheats Continue To Push Anti-Cheat Development Further
The situation highlights how far modern anti-cheat systems have evolved in response to increasingly advanced cheating methods. DMA cheat devices are considered one of the more sophisticated forms of cheating hardware because they can access system memory externally, making them harder for traditional anti-cheat systems to detect.
To combat this, developers have increasingly moved toward kernel-level protections that operate deeper within the operating system itself. While supporters argue these measures are necessary to maintain competitive integrity, critics continue to raise concerns surrounding privacy, system stability, and how much access modern anti-cheat software should have over gaming PCs.
Vanguard has remained one of the most debated anti-cheat systems since Valorant launched in 2020, with Riot frequently defending its aggressive approach as necessary to combat modern cheating tools.
Valorant Continues To Grow Despite Ongoing Controversy
Despite recurring debates surrounding Vanguard, Valorant continues to maintain a strong global player base. Riot regularly updates the game with new competitive seasons, agents, balance changes, and esports events, while Vanguard itself continues receiving updates aimed at countering evolving cheat methods.
The latest controversy once again shows how quickly misinformation can spread when anti-cheat software interacts with low-level hardware protections, especially when developers use aggressive messaging online while discussing cheat detection efforts.
Enjoy our updates? You can add GamingHQ as a preferred source in Google Search to see our articles more often.
