The world of video game cheating has evolved into a lucrative industry, with cheat developers selling unfair advantages to players willing to pay. As online competitive gaming has become more prominent, game developers have had to step up their anti-cheat measures to combat this problem.
One of the most effective anti-cheat systems in use today is Vanguard, developed by Riot Games, the company behind popular titles like League of Legends and Valorant. Vanguard operates at the kernel level, giving it high privileges within the operating system to detect and prevent cheating effectively.
Phillip Koskinas, the director of anti-cheat at Riot, leads a dedicated team that works tirelessly to combat cheaters and cheat developers. Through a combination of leveraging Windows security features, hardware fingerprinting, infiltrating cheat communities, and psychological tactics, Riot has managed to significantly reduce cheating in games like Valorant.
Vanguard’s access to deep levels of a gamer’s computer allows it to enforce critical security features like Trusted Platform Module and Secure Boot, preventing cheats from compromising the system. Additionally, Riot employs undercover operations to gather intelligence on cheat developers and discredits them publicly to deter future cheating.
While some cheat developers market their products as premium and exclusive to avoid detection, Riot’s anti-cheat team is always one step ahead. By discrediting cheat developers and strategically banning their players, Riot aims to disrupt the cheating ecosystem and maintain fair gameplay for all users.
Overall, Riot’s anti-cheat efforts have been successful, with less than 1% of ranked Valorant games globally being impacted by cheaters. By staying vigilant and using a combination of technological and psychological tactics, Riot continues to lead the charge in the fight against cheating in online gaming. As online gaming continues to rise in popularity, so does the issue of cheating within these games. Cheaters often use various tools and techniques to gain an unfair advantage over other players, ruining the experience for everyone else. Riot Games, the company behind popular titles like Valorant, is taking a proactive approach to combat cheating and ensure fair gameplay for all.
Philip Koskinas, the anti-cheat lead at Riot Games, shared insights into the company’s strategies for dealing with cheaters. He emphasized the importance of not banning players immediately after detecting cheating, as this would simply prompt cheaters to find new, undetectable cheats. Instead, Riot takes a more calculated approach to banning, making it harder for cheaters to continue their disruptive behavior.
One of the key techniques used by Riot Games is “fingerprinting” hardware used by cheaters, effectively identifying and blacklisting devices to prevent repeat offenses. Additionally, the company employs psychological tactics to deter cheaters, publicly shaming them and calling them out for their behavior.
Cheaters can be broadly categorized into two groups based on their tactics. The first group consists of “rage cheaters” who use easily detectable tools for cheating. These cheaters are often young and engage in cheating for the thrill of gaining power and dominance in the game. While they may continue to cheat intermittently, Koskinas believes that most will eventually outgrow this behavior.
The second category of cheaters uses premium cheats that are harder to detect, such as external cheats that rely on specialized hardware like direct memory access (DMA) attacks. These cheats allow players to gain unfair advantages like wallhacks and extra-sensory perception within the game. While these cheats may be more difficult to detect, Riot Games is constantly evolving its detection methods to stay ahead of cheaters.
Looking to the future, Koskinas expressed concerns about the use of AI for screen classification, which could further enhance cheating capabilities. Despite the risks associated with anti-cheat technology having kernel-level access, Riot Games remains committed to its approach to combat cheating in games like Valorant.
In an effort to be more transparent about its anti-cheat efforts, Riot Games has published blog posts and engaged with journalists to educate the gaming community about the company’s ongoing efforts to combat cheating. By staying proactive and innovative in its approach to anti-cheat measures, Riot Games aims to create a fair and enjoyable gaming environment for all players. Riot Games, the developer behind popular games like League of Legends, has come under fire for their invasive anti-cheat measures. According to Riot’s technical director, the reason they have such a strict anti-cheat system is because they require players to have a service running at all times while playing their games.
In a recent statement, Riot’s technical director emphasized the importance of transparency when it comes to their anti-cheat measures. He stated that since Riot asks for such a high level of access from players, it is only fair that they are transparent about how they are using that access.
“The best thing we can do in asking for that level of access is to be as transparent about the opacity as we can,” said Koskinas. He went on to explain that while Riot may not reveal everything that goes on behind the scenes, they are committed to providing players with as much information as possible.
“We’re not telling you what’s under the hood, but we’ll tell you almost anything else,” Koskinas reassured players. This commitment to transparency is meant to give players peace of mind knowing that their privacy and security are being taken seriously by Riot.
Ultimately, Riot’s goal is to create a safe and fair gaming environment for all players. By being transparent about their anti-cheat measures, they hope to build trust with their community and show that they are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of their games.
