vgc

vgc.exe is the Riot Vanguard service, the user-mode half of Riot's anti-cheat system. The other half is a kernel driver (vgk.sys) that loads at Windows boot, before any Riot game is launched. Vanguard is required for Valorant, and was extended to League of Legends in 2024.

What installing it does to your system: Vanguard loads on every Windows boot regardless of whether a Riot game is open. It is one of the few PC anti-cheats that does this; most others load only while their protected game is running. Riot's stated reason is that some cheat tools deploy before the game starts, and a kernel driver loaded first can see them. On Windows 11, Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.

What the public record shows: Riot has been transparent about Vanguard's design in its Player Support documentation and through public communications from its anti-cheat lead. No public CVE has been assigned to Vanguard's components as of this writing. The always-on posture and the kernel access have been controversial in the player community since Vanguard's 2020 launch, and that controversy is documented in mainstream gaming press (Ars Technica, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, BleepingComputer).

If you have Valorant or League of Legends installed, vgc.exe is expected and will start on every boot. Uninstalling Vanguard requires uninstalling the Riot game; the service does not provide a standalone uninstaller.