Riot Vanguard finally drops its controversial always-on requirement for anti-cheat — new on-demand mode requires a strict Windows 11 security stack

Liam Brooks — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:22:12 +0000

Riot Lets Gamers Take Back Control of Anti-Cheat with On-Demand Mode The anti-cheat world is undergoing a subtle yet significant shift, and Riot Games is handing players the keys. The company has announced plans to let users control when its powerful Vanguard anti-cheat driver loads, effectively ending its persistent presence at Windows startup. This move […]

The post Riot Vanguard finally drops its controversial always-on requirement for anti-cheat — new on-demand mode requires a strict Windows 11 security stack appeared first on HardwareFreaks.

You can finally turn Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat off when you’re not playing a game

Harper Cole — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:23:34 +0000

For years, PC gamers have lived with a controversial piece of software called Vanguard, Riot Games’ anti-cheat system. It operates at a deeply privileged level—kernel mode—granting it access to your computer at an alarmingly deep level. This intrusive nature, while intended for security and competitive integrity, often sparked debates about privacy and user experience. Now, […]

The post You can finally turn Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat off when you’re not playing a game appeared first on HardwareFreaks.

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Riot Vanguard finally drops its controversial always-on requirement for anti-cheat — new on-demand mode requires a strict Windows 11 security stack

You can finally turn Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat off when you’re not playing a game