Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat
Vanguard operates at the kernel level (Ring 0), meaning it has the highest level of access to your system — the same as the operating system itself.
Two Components: Driver and Client
vgk.sys (driver): Loads at system startup and runs in the background.
Vanguard client: Runs when Valorant is active, responsible for additional in-game monitoring.
Persistent Background Monitoring
Even when you’re not playing Valorant, the driver remains active to detect cheat software that may load before the game starts.
Pre-emptive Cheat Detection
By running at boot, Vanguard can detect cheats that try to inject or manipulate memory before the game even launches.
Memory & Process Scanning
Vanguard monitors processes, memory usage, and system drivers to detect suspicious behavior or code injections.
Hardware Access
Due to its kernel-level access, Vanguard can monitor inputs, detect spoofed hardware IDs, and block low-level cheats that simulate hardware behavior (like driver-based aimbots).
Automatic Blocking and Banning
When a cheat is detected, Vanguard can instantly block the process and may trigger an automatic or manual ban, depending on severity and detection confidence.
Tamper Resistance
Vanguard is built to resist reverse engineering and tampering attempts. Disabling or modifying Vanguard can prevent you from launching Valorant.
Privacy Concerns and Transparency
Riot claims Vanguard does not collect personal data or scan unrelated files, and its operation is limited to cheat detection. However, the kernel access level has raised privacy debates.
Frequent Updates
Riot updates Vanguard frequently to patch vulnerabilities, improve detection methods, and respond to new cheat techniques.
Ban Waves and Manual Review
Some detections result in immediate bans, while others are queued for manual review and deployed in ban waves to protect detection methods.
Community Reporting Integration
Vanguard also considers user reports; suspicious players flagged by users may receive additional scrutiny from anti-cheat systems.