The old anti-cheat system gave cheaters a big advantage, Riot says, since those cheaters could use code-signing holes or Windows corruption exploits to create cheating software that runs at the kernel level.

That's a big change from Riot's pre-Vanguard anti-cheat systems, which operated entirely at the more common 'user mode' level, just like most Windows executables. While the Vanguard anti-cheat client only launches when Valorant is being played, Riot says the system also makes use of a 'kernel mode driver' that starts operating as soon as Windows boots up. But Riot's new Vanguard anti-cheat system-which involves a kernel-level driver that has very low-level access to your system-is raising some eyebrows among both players and security experts.

Further Reading Valorant closed beta: The tactical hero shooter I never knew I wantedIn the ever-evolving cat-and-mouse battle between cheaters and game developers, Riot Games is taking expanded measures to protect legitimate players in its new tactical combat game Valorant.

Install riot vanguard