Summary

  • Riot Games denies Vanguard bricking PCs, encourages players to report bugs and seek assistance for League of Legends stability issues.
  • Vanguard's screenshot reporting system targets in-game activity, not entire operating systems or monitors, meeting privacy laws and player rights.
  • The controversy over anti-cheat software like Vanguard raises questions on balancing security and privacy concerns in online gaming.

A League of Legends developer addressed rumors alleging that the Vanguard anti-cheat system was bricking players' PCs. The rollout of the Vanguard system, developer Riot Games' custom kernel-level anti-cheat software, has been controversial for the game's player base since it was revealed it would be implemented into its massively popular MOBA. Fans' fears only intensified when several users reported encountering problems with Vanguard, with some claiming they could no longer even boot their systems after League of Legends' latest patch.

For context, kernel-level anti-cheat systems like Vanguard do just what their name implies. These systems detect and routinely stop third-party programs using authorizations that run as deep as the core of a computer's operating system, known as the kernel. Though intended to stop cheaters and other bad actors, players have been understandably hesitant to install a program with so much access to their personal computers. Fans only grew apprehensive after online users reported the new features for League of Legends in Patch 14.9 were harming their system's stability.

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In response to rumors, Riot Games anti-cheat manager Matthew "Riot K3o" Paoletti posted an update to the League of Legends subreddit, stating there were no confirmed instances of Vanguard outright bricking a user's PC. Still, he encouraged players to keep an eye out for bugs when playing League of Legends and send a message to player support if they required assistance. Regarding previous reports of bricked PCs, Paoletti further clarified they had solved a few of the major threads that reported similar incidents and confirmed Vanguard was not the root cause of the issue.

Riot Games' Anti-Cheat Manager Denies Vanguard is Bricking PCs

The team manager additionally touched upon worries regarding Vanguard's screenshot reporting system, with Paoletti assuring players the anti-cheat system does not take a screenshot of the entire OS or other monitors when activated. The system is only designed to capture a screenshot of a game client in fullscreen mode and the region wherein the player is currently active when suspected of using extra-sensory perception hacks. Paoletti explained these screenshots were standard practice for games with effective anti-cheat programs and further promised Vanguard met all regional privacy laws to ensure player rights were not infringed.

The implementation of controversial anti-cheat software into a game as old as League of Legends is perhaps one of the best reminders that online security is an ever-evolving play of cat and mouse between studios and hackers. However, the increasing complexity of anti-cheat software and the third-party programs they were built to combat might also be another growing problem the industry will need to tackle, as players and developers will both have to ask themselves where they are willing to draw the line on the sand when it comes to balancing security with privacy.

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League of Legends Tag Page Cover Art
League of Legends
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Released
October 27, 2009
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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League of Legends is one of the best MOBAs in the world, allowing players to duke it out against each other or bots in a variety of game modes. There are tons of champions to choose from in LoL, with favorites like Yasuo, Graves, Nasus, Poppy, and more, with new champions like Vex and Viego recently joining the crew.

ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Developer(s)
Riot Games
Publisher(s)
Riot Games
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Franchise
League of Legends
Platform(s)
PC, macOS
Genre(s)
MOBA