Riot Games has updated its Vanguard anti-cheat software to target DMA cheating hardware through firmware modification. The update allegedly alters system firmware on NVMe and SATA drives to disable the functionality of these devices when used for cheating purposes. This approach represents a significant shift in how Riot handles unauthorized hardware modifications in its games.
Firmware modification disables DMA devices upon detection by anti-cheat software
The new mechanism works by detecting DMA devices connected via NVMe or SATA interfaces. Upon detection, the software modifies the drive firmware to prevent the device from communicating with the system. The update was developed in collaboration with motherboard manufacturers MSI, ASRock, and ASUS to improve detection capabilities across different hardware configurations.
Users who trigger this anti-cheat measure encounter a red warning screen displaying humorous ban messages before being redirected to an IOMMU warning page. Riot Games acknowledged the situation on social media by commenting that owners of expensive cheating setups now possess paperweights. The system effectively bricks the DMA device for cheating purposes while leaving other hardware functionality intact.
This firmware-level intervention marks one of the most aggressive anti-cheat measures implemented in competitive gaming. The collaboration with major motherboard manufacturers suggests an industry-wide effort to combat hardware-based cheating methods that bypass traditional software detection systems.
Source: Insider Gaming
