Overview
- Riot began rolling out the optional on-demand Vanguard mode starting June 24, allowing the anti-cheat driver to remain inactive at boot and load only when a Riot game launches.
- The on-demand option requires passing a new Vanguard Pre-Check that mandates Windows 11 25H2, UEFI Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, Virtualization-Based Security, HVCI, and IOMMU enabled on the PC.
- Riot worked with Microsoft’s Xbox OS Security team and uses the Windows Runtime Driver Attestation report, which records drivers loaded since boot as an append-only hash stored in the TPM so Vanguard can detect prior driver tampering without running continuously.
- About 35 percent of Riot’s players already meet the Pre-Check and can opt in immediately, roughly 65 percent will need OS or firmware changes to qualify, and about 3 percent are on hardware that cannot meet the checks without upgrades.
- Riot says the on-demand mode is optional, Vanguard will remain always-on for players who do not opt in, and the company may add stricter Pre-Check requirements for top competitive play while warning that VBS and HVCI can cause driver compatibility issues and small performance impacts.