Riot Games is changing how Valorant handles its anti-cheat system to address player privacy concerns. The update introduces an on-demand mode that keeps the Vanguard driver dormant until the game actually launches. This shift matters to players who want competitive integrity without a system-wide security footprint running in the background. The change aims to reduce the perceived intrusion of always-on kernel-level drivers.
Riot Games introduces dormant driver mode for Windows 11 25H2 users
The new anti-cheat behavior applies to Valorant and other Riot titles on compatible Windows 11 systems. It relies on a specific feature within Windows 11 version 25H2 called Runtime Driver Attestation. This technology allows the game to verify that no unauthorized cheat drivers loaded before the title starts. The system ensures that the security check happens only when necessary for gameplay.
To use this mode, players must meet strict hardware and security requirements on their machines. The system requires Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, IOMMU, and Virtualization-Based Security to be enabled. These features provide the foundational trust chain needed for the attestation process to work correctly. If these requirements are not met, the system defaults to the standard always-active anti-cheat driver.
Riot estimates that approximately 35% of the current player base qualifies for this on-demand mode. This limitation means most players will continue to use the standard Vanguard setup for the time being. The update represents a step toward more granular control over system access for a subset of users. Players should check their Windows settings and hardware capabilities to see if they meet the new criteria.
Source: DEXERTO
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