Valorant

Valorant is Riot GamesPublisherRiot GamesRiot Games is the publisher of Valorant and League of Legends, and the developer of Riot Vanguard, the kernel-mode anti-cheat that backs both titles. Founded 2006, owned by Tencent since 2011.2 games in this family →' 5v5 tactical hero shooter, released June 2020. It is one of the most-played competitive PC games in the world, with a global esports circuit (VCT) that has scaled rapidly since launch. Valorant runs through the Riot Client; there is no Steam version.

If you are deciding whether to install Valorant, know that VanguardAnti-cheatRiot VanguardRiot Vanguard is Riot's kernel-mode anti-cheat for Valorant and League of Legends. Notable for loading at every Windows boot regardless of whether a Riot game is running, in contrast to most PC anti-cheats which load only while their protected game is open. The kernel driver (vgk.sys) and user-mode service (vgc.exe) are both catalogued in the Field Guide.2 games in this family → will run on every Windows boot from then on, and that uninstalling Valorant is the only way to remove it. If you already have Valorant installed, vgc.exeProcessvgc.exeRiot Vanguard service (Valorant and League of Legends anti-cheat)Open plate → and vgtray.exeProcessvgtray.exeRiot Vanguard tray iconOpen plate → in your processes are expected and not a sign of anything wrong.

Installing Valorant installs Riot Vanguard, Riot's kernel-mode anti-cheat. Vanguard loads on every Windows boot regardless of whether Valorant is open, which is unusual: most PC anti-cheats load only while their protected game is running. The user-mode service (vgc.exe) and tray icon (vgtray.exe) are both catalogued in the Field Guide's processes section. The kernel driver (vgk.sys) is not currently catalogued in the drivers section because it is not on the LOLDrivers public vulnerable-driver list. On Windows 11, Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Vanguard is removed only by uninstalling the Riot game that brought it; there is no standalone uninstaller.

Riot Games has been publicly transparent about Vanguard's design through its Player Support documentation and direct communications from its anti-cheat lead. No public CVE has been assigned to Vanguard's components as of this writing. The always-on kernel posture has been controversial in the PC community since Vanguard's 2020 launch, and that controversy is documented in mainstream gaming press (Ars Technica, PC Gamer, Eurogamer). Riot Games has been owned by Tencent since 2011, a fact worth noting when considering the broader publisher context.