If League of Legends and Valorant players have the right hardware and elect to opt into “pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows’ own native protection features,” then, starting today, they can switch the Vanguard anti-cheat software from always-on to one that’s “on demand.” With “Vanguard Pre-Check,” the kernel-level driver won’t launch when your system does, according to a blog post from Phillip Koskinas, Riot’s head of anti-cheat. Riot is able to introduce this new feature now after working with the Xbox OS Security Team at Microsoft on improvements to the Windows kernel that lock out the kind of driver and memory exploits that cheats use to employ wallhacks, aimbot, triggerbot, and other tools. To solve the problem of knowing if cheats have been loaded without running 24/7, Riot is tapping into a Windows security feature called the Runtime Driver Attestation Report that it relies on for a secured list of the device drivers loaded since boot. The Verge is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. On the device side, the useful angle is whether a technical change actually alters feel, lifespan, or upgrade cost in real use.
What is happening now
If League of Legends and Valorant players have the right hardware and elect to opt into “pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows’ own native protection features,” then, starting today, they can switch the Vanguard anti-cheat software from always-on to one that’s “on demand. ” With “Vanguard Pre-Check,” the kernel-level driver won’t launch when your system does, according to a blog post from Phillip Koskinas, Riot’s head of anti-cheat. The Verge form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece.
Where the sources line up
The Verge is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. Riot is able to introduce this new feature now after working with the Xbox OS Security Team at Microsoft on improvements to the Windows kernel that lock out the kind of driver and memory exploits that cheats use to employ wallhacks, aimbot, triggerbot, and other tools. The Verge form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece.
The details worth keeping
To solve the problem of knowing if cheats have been loaded without running 24/7, Riot is tapping into a Windows security feature called the Runtime Driver Attestation Report that it relies on for a secured list of the device drivers loaded since boot. On the device side, the useful angle is whether a technical change actually alters feel, lifespan, or upgrade cost in real use.
Why this matters most
The signal is strong enough to deserve attention, but it still needs to be read as something developing rather than fully settled. With 1 source layers on the table, the part worth reading most closely is where firm facts meet the market's early reaction. Running at least Windows 11 25H2 is part of the requirement, which he says is “mostly because the driver attestation report was only initially added in this version, but it’s also because, due to the natural progression of security, it gets more convenient to cheat the older your operating system is.
What to watch next
The next readout is price, device coverage, and whether the change feels real once the hardware reaches users. Patrick Tech Media will keep checking rollout speed, user reaction, and how The Verge update the next pieces. From 1 early signals, the piece keeps 1 references that are useful for locking the main details in place. That is why the useful reading move is not to stop at the headline, but to compare the promise, the workflow change, and the likely cost before deciding anything.