League of Legends receives controversial Vanguard anti-cheat, Windows 11 now requires TPM 2.0

Daniel Sims

Daniel Sims

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What just happened? Riot Games recently tightened the installation requirements for League of Legends to combat cheating, but unfortunately, this move inadvertently affected some innocent players. Amid reports of bugs and compatibility issues, the company provided an extensive explanation of its anti-cheat strategy, covering topics such as OS support, security measures, and insights gleaned from data on cheating habits.

League of Legends players on Windows are now receiving prompts to install Riot Games' Vanguard anti-cheat system. Since the company introduced the software in Valorant a few years ago, it has sparked controversy for embedding its processes deeply into Windows, a concern shared by many users.

In response to complaints about bugs that surfaced after Vanguard was implemented with version 14.9, Riot stated that less than 0.03 percent of players reported errors. Additionally, the company noted that known troubleshooting solutions have resolved the most commonly reported error codes. Despite claims that Vanguard has caused some players' machines to become unusable, Riot stated that it could not confirm any such reports.

Vanguard sparked controversy in 2020 for necessitating kernel-level access to Valorant players' systems. Critics argue that once installed, Vanguard operates continuously, even when no game is active. While Riot acknowledges that the anti-cheat software loads a driver upon boot, it asserts that the driver only engages during gameplay. Additionally, the company emphasizes that Vanguard does not necessitate SecureBoot.

Moreover, Riot appears unconcerned about false positives. While players can appeal their bans, the company believes that most who do are either lying, paid a boosting service to cheat, or have malware that Vanguard detected.

Complaints have also arisen regarding the new TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 users. While Windows 11 itself technically mandates TPM 2.0, workarounds exist to bypass it. Nevertheless, Riot has stated that less than one percent of League of Legends players on Windows 11 have circumvented the CPU security requirement, deeming it a minor issue. Furthermore, implementing this functionality enables Riot to ban not only accounts but also CPUs upon detecting fraudulent behavior.

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Unfortunately, Riot can't assist users running the game on Linux via Wine, as it doesn't support the new anti-cheat requirements. Although League of Legends technically isn't designed for Linux, the company may consider porting the game in the future. Meanwhile, macOS players are not required to install Vanguard, as cheating on that OS hasn't reached a severity level that warrants it. Riot's documentation and FAQs address several other topics related to the issue, such as alternate anti-cheat methods and screenshotting.

According to Anti-Cheat Police reports, Vanguard has significantly impacted cheating in League of Legends. Scripts like Elysium, Oasys, and Zeitgeist are planning to cease development.

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League of Legends receives controversial Vanguard anti-cheat, Windows 11 now requires TPM 2.0

 
So glad I don't play this as it saves me uninstalling it. While windows 11 can easily have TPM 2.0 requirements bypassed I wonder what M$ has in store for Windows 12 that makes this impossible or has other requirements.

I just wish Apple would take gaming seriously and I could build my own Apple PC and buy a discrete GPU for it then I'd be finished with windows. Alas Linux is a no go as some of my most used software is not available for Linux and I'm not doing the dual boot crap.
 
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daffy duck said:
So glad I don't play this as it saves me uninstalling it. While windows 11 can easily have TPM 2.0 requirements bypassed I wonder what M$ has in store for Windows 12 that makes this impossible or has other requirements.

I just wish Apple would take gaming seriously and I could build my own Apple PC and buy a discrete GPU for it then I'd be finished with windows. Alas Linux is a no go as some of my most used software is not available for Linux and I'm not doing the dual boot crap.
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Ok but Linux can actually solve most all of the problems here - its built in KVM can emulate a TPM 2.0 device and also pass through some real hardware like for instance a GPU and USB devices to a Windows 11 virtual machine.

I've been using it to get Windows 11 system running on unsupported hardware without having to modify or trick the Windows 11 installer itself, at very near native speed, without dual boot. I realize it might not be for everyone but it does work surprisingly well, and behaves much like any other Windows 11 PC, except that the screen will first show Linux booting and then Windows 11.
 
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So Microsoft is less engineering security and rather engineering obsolescence now, the Phoebus cartel would be rolling with joy at the inspiration Microsoft has been taking from their tactics lately.

I don't doubt the validity of TPM 2.0 against bootloader malware, however using it to gatekeep devices for a computer game is not particularly what it is designed for.
 
daffy duck said:
So glad I don't play this as it saves me uninstalling it. While windows 11 can easily have TPM 2.0 requirements bypassed I wonder what M$ has in store for Windows 12 that makes this impossible or has other requirements.
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90% people on this site clam they will be skipping 11 and go directly to 12, so funny hahaha... On the other topic, been playing LoL since 2009 and I don't like this
 
Watch Dogs 2 needs Easy anti cheat . I didnt know that and uninstalled the forementioned thing . When I tried to start the game my PC bluescreened . I repeated this several times and every time I faced a bluescreen . It happened for the first time to this PC . I verified the game files , Easy anti cheat was installed and the game worked fine . But why does it have to do this to the computer ? It s not fair .
 
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It's a dumb arena game with silly cartoon animations. You just fight the same online battles over and over again it's not even a real video game it's like playing soccer with guns. Only underage kids and not so smart people play esport games and people that don't have enough money to buy AAA videogames.
 
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I enjoy everything around the videogame, the music, the TV show, the characters, the lore, It's all quite good.

The game though? Don't get me wrong, it's fun, but, it's the same map, over and over again...
I thought there was more to LoL but there really isn't, there's a single map, with three lanes, you pick your character based on what lane you've chosen to go down, whichever team has someone die first after spending 10 minutes hitting minions tends to lose.

It was way more boring than the marketing would have you believe.
 
Banning at the CPU is just brilliant (not being /s in the slightest here.); no way around that other than purchasing another computer, and I'm totally cool with d-bags being able to play again if they have to not only start a brand new account but also spend the money on an entirely new computer, because we all know that most of the cheaters are little script kiddies using Mom and Dad's money, so the odds of them being able to purchase another computer is near nil anyways, so it's a win-win all around. Hopefully they use this feature to also CPU-level ban people that egregiously break the ToS.
 
Anyone who plays competitive MP games knows that Vanguard is the only AC on the market that actually works, and it's arguably one of the main reasons why Valorant is successful. More devs need to ignore the whining from a loud minority and copy Vanguard.
 
exothermic said:
Anyone who plays competitive MP games knows that Vanguard is the only AC on the market that actually works, and it's arguably one of the main reasons why Valorant is successful. More devs need to ignore the whining from a loud minority and copy Vanguard.
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I've been saying this for a while.

I also like the idea that, if you refuse to have the anti-cheat installed or comply with it, you get match made with others who also don't have it installed.

And make it clear to players every time they matchmake as well, just a little tip at the bottom of the screen "congrats, you're running Vanguard and your TPM is compliant, you will now be matchmade with other Vanguard users".

Then those that refuse to have it installed, get a message along the lines of "warning, Vanguard is not installed, you will NOT be matchmade with Vanguard users".

I'd also want a watermark of some description permanently on the screen for both. So when, inevitably, the small minority of loud mouths that complain the game is "riddled with cheaters" they can record said cheating and you can easily tell if its because they refuse to install the Anti-Cheat or not.
 
Again, with TPM requirement..
not everyone has hardware that meets their latest OS requirements..
does Microsoft really want many windows users to abandon their OS..?
 
There were screenshots posted in the GN discord of an active reddit campaign aimed at spreading misinformation about this being added, users saying they should claim it bricked their systems, caused file loss, etc.

Riot is either wise to deny those claims. If I cared more I'd find and forward the posts about it to them so they could play the community against themselves by linking to it on a support page/faq.
 
ManosTS said:
It's a dumb arena game with silly cartoon animations. You just fight the same online battles over and over again it's not even a real video game it's like playing soccer with guns. Only underage kids and not so smart people play esport games and people that don't have enough money to buy AAA videogames.
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I used to play LoL quite a bit years ago (I'm talking 6+ years now) and it was never about trying to be the best or go up in ranks. It was about screwing around and trolling people.

I had some of the oddest builds that "60% of the time, it works every time." Or a buddy and I would break the meta (1 top, 1 jungle, 1 mid, two bot) and we'd go 2 top or sometimes we'd go 2 mid and it would be a 2v1. We'd wreck the player that was now 2v1, mow down the first and generally the second tower in that lane. By then we'd be free to roam and gank people. We pissed people off constantly because we weren't playing meta. They'd cry and cry and report us. Hilarious times. I maybe play LoL a couple dozen times a year now, but I only play the URF mode or AFO when they're out for a limited time.

You trying to stereotype people that play a game only shows how childish you actually are. If you don't like the game, there is nothing wrong with that. If you greatly enjoy the game, there is nothing wrong with that. What do you actually care who plays a game and who doesn't? Does it hurt your feelings that others play LoL and are good at it and you're not? Does it hurt your feelings that others like the game and you don't? Are you so good at LoL that no one in the world challenges you so you hate the game?

Personally, I detest CoD. I think it sucks. A lot of people I do play games with online love it and they're playing it a lot. Just because these guys play a game I hate doesn't mean I try to stereotype them or drag them down to make me feel better. I don't care if they like it, all I know is that I don't like it so I don't play it.
 
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Furriest said:
So Microsoft is less engineering security and rather engineering obsolescence now, the Phoebus cartel would be rolling with joy at the inspiration Microsoft has been taking from their tactics lately.

I don't doubt the validity of TPM 2.0 against bootloader malware, however using it to gatekeep devices for a computer game is not particularly what it is designed for.
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We all knew this is what TMP would be used for. Hardware based, unremovable, DRM! YAY! Just wait until they start banning you from logging in because you said a naughty. It's coming.
Jarenien said:
Banning at the CPU is just brilliant (not being /s in the slightest here.); no way around that other than purchasing another computer, and I'm totally cool with d-bags being able to play again if they have to not only start a brand new account but also spend the money on an entirely new computer, because we all know that most of the cheaters are little script kiddies using Mom and Dad's money, so the odds of them being able to purchase another computer is near nil anyways, so it's a win-win all around. Hopefully they use this feature to also CPU-level ban people that egregiously break the ToS.
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Oh man the way this tech can be abused......
 
Feedback: playing for 10 days now after implementation of Vanguard, LoL seems to have improved as a game, I have much higher winrate, and no more Xerath's that pentakill our entire team
 
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