In the landscape of multiplayer gaming, 2020 was a tumultuous year marked by rampant cheating. As players flocked to online games during the COVID-19 lockdowns, titles like Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, and Destiny 2 struggled to combat the surge of cheaters employing aimbots and wallhacks. Amidst this chaos, Riot Games introduced Valorant, featuring its innovative anti-cheat system, Vanguard, which has since proven to be a formidable barrier against cheating.
Four years on, Vanguard’s effectiveness is evident. Phillip Koskinas, the director of anti-cheat for Valorant, noted in a recent interview that the system has significantly deterred cheat developers. “We don’t see as many of the cheats that try to function on the machine and get access,” he explained, highlighting the challenges faced by those attempting to circumvent Vanguard’s defenses.
At the heart of Vanguard’s success lies a kernel-level driver that operates continuously after system boot. This driver is designed to detect unauthorized access attempts to Valorant. Nick “Everdox” Peterson, a key architect behind Vanguard, devised a detection mechanism that identifies when cheat engines attempt to infiltrate the game. Koskinas described this method as “cute,” hinting at its cleverness while keeping its specifics under wraps to prevent exploitation.
As Vanguard has tightened its grip on traditional software cheats, some cheaters have turned to hardware solutions, employing direct memory access (DMA) techniques. This involves using dedicated hardware, such as PCIe cards, to scan the game’s memory externally. Cheaters can then utilize a secondary PC to create a radar display that reveals opponent positions, undermining the tactical gameplay that Valorant is built upon.
Riot has not been idle in response to these evolving tactics. Peterson’s innovations have led to the development of methods that detect and block suspicious hardware-level DMA attempts. Koskinas shared a personal experience where Vanguard’s protective measures inadvertently blocked his network card upon entering a game, illustrating the system’s robust capabilities.
Currently, most cheating in Valorant is attributed to triggerbots, which utilize screen readers to automatically shoot when an enemy is detected. Koskinas estimates that these account for around 80 percent of cheats in the game. The introduction of Vanguard to League of Legends earlier this year has similarly curtailed cheating, resulting in over 175,000 account bans since its implementation.
However, the situation is less favorable for other developers. A study from the University of Birmingham highlighted ongoing issues with cheats in Call of Duty: Warzone, indicating that Activision’s Ricochet anti-cheat system struggles against more sophisticated cheating methods. Developer zebleer, known for creating popular cheat engines, criticized Activision for not providing sufficient resources to combat the rampant cheating in their games.
In contrast, Riot’s commitment to anti-cheat measures, bolstered by funding and talent, has positioned Vanguard as a leader in the field. The University of Birmingham’s research ranked Valorant at the top of anti-cheat systems, followed closely by Fortnite and others.
Looking ahead, Riot is exploring collaborations with Microsoft to enhance Valorant‘s security further. Koskinas mentioned that Microsoft has become more proactive in addressing malicious driver certificates, which could lead to improved protections for players. Future updates may see Vanguard activate only when the game launches, contingent on the latest Windows 11 security features, addressing privacy concerns while maintaining robust anti-cheat measures.
While Riot currently focuses on Windows, there are no plans for Linux support, as the potential for kernel manipulation poses significant risks. Other developers, like Respawn and Epic Games, have also opted out of supporting Linux due to similar concerns.
As the battle against cheating evolves, Riot faces the looming challenge of AI-powered cheats. With advancements in technology, the potential for AI to analyze and replicate human gameplay poses a new threat. Koskinas acknowledged the ongoing arms race, stating, “We’re at a disadvantage, honestly,” as AI models could learn to mimic human input, complicating the fight against cheating.
In this dynamic environment, while Valorant currently stands strong against traditional cheating methods, the future may see a complex interplay between AI-driven cheats and detection systems, reshaping the landscape of competitive gaming.
