Riot Games recently updated Vanguard, its anti-cheat software for Valorant, to detect and disable DMA (direct memory access) cheating devices even when the game isn't running. The change sparked backlash after players reported OS crashes, false bans, and system instability—some claiming they had to reinstall Windows or reset BIOS. Riot denied that Vanguard bricks hardware, clarifying that the software only renders cheating tools useless in Valorant. However, users across Reddit and social media allege broader system impacts, including registry issues and launch failures in unrelated games like Overwatch.

The controversy intensified when Riot tweeted a photo of disabled DMA cards labeled as "$6k paperweights," which many interpreted as dismissive. While Riot later clarified the message was meant humorously, trust has eroded. Some users who never played Riot games but had briefly installed a demo reported system issues after removing Riot software. The anti-cheat runs at kernel level, giving it deep system access, which amplifies concerns about unintended consequences.

Though the damage appears reversible via OS reinstall, the scale of disruption raises questions about oversight. Competitive integrity is a priority, but players argue that anti-cheat measures shouldn’t compromise system stability for non-cheaters. Riot maintains that Vanguard does not harm hardware, but the growing number of user reports suggests deeper technical or deployment issues need resolution.