May 22 2026, 11:27am PST: Riot has since issued a tweet confirming that Vanguard does not “brick” PCs, clarifying that the devices in its tweet are “cheat hardware devices.” It states that “Vanguard now makes those devices worthless for Valorant, but does not in any way brick PCs or PC components or PC software.” PCGamesN apologizes for any confusion. Riot Games’ Vanguard anti-cheat has come under fire many a time. When it first launched with Valorant, players accused the tech of “bricking” their PCs, with complaints about its kernel-level access. Those same allegations began to spiral when Vanguard was added to League of Legends in 2024, with high-profile streamer Nick ‘LS’ De Cesare’s computer being one of many that appeared to have issues post-launch. Some users have claimed that a new update to Riot’s anti-cheat has led to PCs being “bricked,” but Riot has since issued a statement highlighting that Vanguard “does not in any way brick PCs or PC components or PC software.”
Riot responds to Vanguard “bricking” claims: “We would not, and cannot, impact your PC’s functionality”
Comment here