Riot Games Faces Backlash Over Vanguard Anti-Cheat Software

Recently, Riot Games introduced Vanguard, a new anti-cheat software, as part of the latest League of Legends Patch 14.9. The primary goal of Vanguard is to maintain fair gameplay by eliminating scripters, botters, and cheaters from the game's queues. However, within days of its release, reports emerged on social media platforms, particularly Reddit, claiming that some players' PCs were being 'bricked' due to the software.

Riot Games swiftly responded to these allegations, stating that they have not confirmed any instances of Vanguard causing hardware damage. The developer urged affected players to reach out to Player Support for assistance. Riot also provided troubleshooting tips, suggesting that enabling Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and TPM 2.0 could potentially resolve issues for some users.

Despite Riot's efforts to address the situation, some players continue to face challenges. One user reported success in reviving their PC by enabling UEFI and TPM 2.0, while another PC remained non-functional. This incident highlights the complexities and risks associated with implementing anti-cheat software in online gaming environments.

Instances of anti-cheat software causing unintended consequences have been observed in other games as well. Activision's anti-cheat measures in Call of Duty: Warzone and Helldivers 2 have faced criticism for disrupting gameplay for legitimate players. As the gaming industry grapples with the balance between fair play and user experience, the ongoing saga of Vanguard in League of Legends serves as a cautionary tale for developers and players alike.