Riot Video games has decreased dishonest in Valorant to beneath 1% of ranked video games via its controversial kernel-level anti-cheat system Vanguard, based on the corporate’s anti-cheat director Phillip Koskinas. The system enforces Home windows security measures like Trusted Platform Module and Safe Boot whereas stopping code execution in kernel reminiscence.
Past technical measures, Riot deploys undercover operatives who’ve infiltrated cheat growth communities for years. “We have even gone so far as giving anti-cheat data to ascertain credibility,” Koskinas informed TechCrunch, describing how they aim even “premium” cheats costing 1000’s of {dollars}.
Riot faces more and more subtle threats, together with direct reminiscence entry assaults utilizing specialised PCI Specific {hardware} and display screen reader cheats that use separate computer systems to research gameplay and management mouse actions. To fight repeat offenders, Vanguard fingerprints cheaters’ {hardware}. Koskinas admits to intentionally slowing some enforcement: “To maintain dishonest dumb, we ban slower.” The workforce additionally employs psychological warfare, publicly discrediting cheat builders and trolling recognized cheaters to undermine their credibility in gaming communities.