Vanguard Anti-cheat System Bans 100,000 Cheaters from VALORANT

Between December 22, 2024, and January 13, 2025, the anti-cheat system, Vanguard, designed by Riot Games, took measures to ban over 100,000 cheating players from the game VALORANT. This information was shared by Phillip Koskinas, who is the Head of Anti-Cheat at Riot Games. He exposed these facts via a graph that he posted on his X account on the date of January 14th. This move showed the profound dedication of Riot Games in maintaining a balanced and fair competitive environment in the gaming world.

Employment of Various Techniques to Spot Cheaters

To carry out the bans, Riot Games relied on a few different methods to identify cheating players. A silver bullet doesn’t exist in the complex world of cheat detection, thus multiple approaches were needed. The removal of cheating players was accomplished using various cheating identification methods.

Manual Bans

The first of these was manual bans. This technique involved having Riot Games’ expert professionals manually identify and ban cheaters. This old-fashioned yet reliable method ensures that the ban was justly given only after careful analysis and review, thus reducing the chance of incorrect bans.

Machine Learning Behavioural Detection

The second technique employed was a more modern approach: machine learning behavioural detection. This method involves using advanced computing algorithms to analyse player behaviour during gameplay. If any suspicious movements, patterns, or actions were detected that deviate from the expected norm, the system can mark them as cheating. This method is ideal for detecting more subtle methods of cheating that manual reviews might overlook.

A Fairer Gaming Environment

Riot Games’ efforts to curb cheaters are a crucial part of creating a fairer gaming environment. Every gamer should be able to participate in a fair and just world where skills and capabilities alone determine the outcome. Measures like these, taken by Riot Games, reinforce the integrity of the gaming sphere, signalling to cheaters that their actions will not be tolerated and will have consequences.

Wrapping Up

Riot Games has taken an extensive step toward creating a fair gaming arena using Vanguard, their anti-cheat system. Over a span of less than a month, this system has successfully identified and banned over 100,000 cheaters from VALORANT. The use of a combination of different techniques, manual bans by experts and machine learning behavioural detection, proves the company’s commitment to preserving a fair gaming environment.