Riot Vanguard Games & Compatibility Guide

Riot describes Vanguard as a client, a Windows kernel-mode driver and a platform. The client and driver have different roles; a generic “Vanguard compatible” label does not identify which Riot game or product feature a seller means.

Riot’s 2020 architecture statement describes a driver that starts with Windows. Its June 2026 announcement introduced an optional mode for eligible PCs in which the driver starts with a Riot game instead. Read the older statement as historical architecture, not a universal 2026 startup rule.

Sources: [1]

Riot’s current material discusses Vanguard across Valorant and League of Legends. This CheatsMatch page focuses its commercial links on Valorant, where we compare general product listings, aimbot listings and HWID spoofer claims separately.

A provider offering one Riot game has not necessarily established support for another. “Vanguard compatible” is less specific than “Valorant support,” and a feature description for a different game should not be copied into a Valorant comparison. The same brand can offer separate products with different functions and requirements.

Sources: [2]

On June 24, 2026, Riot announced optional on-demand Vanguard sessions for PCs that pass Vanguard Pre-Check. In that mode, the driver launches with a supported Riot game and runs while the game is active. Without that optional mode, Riot’s support page says Vanguard is usually an on-boot application.

Riot lists Windows 11 25H2 and several hardware-backed security features for Pre-Check. These are eligibility conditions for the optional mode, not a universal minimum for every Vanguard player. A seller’s older Windows compatibility statement does not answer which Vanguard mode or game version it covers.

For a PC displaying a Vanguard security prompt, use Riot’s current support guidance and the hardware manufacturer’s documentation. This page provides the scope distinction, not firmware setup instructions. The kernel-level anti-cheat guide explains the driver’s Windows privilege regardless of its start time.

Sources: [2][13]

There is no blanket safety finding here. Vanguard includes a Windows kernel-mode driver. Microsoft explains that a faulty kernel-mode driver can affect operating-system data or stability because kernel-mode code shares an address space. This describes the access and potential failure impact, not evidence that Vanguard has misused it.

Riot says Vanguard undergoes internal review and external security audits. In a 2020 statement, Riot said the driver itself did not collect or send information about the PC. These are Riot’s claims, not independent test results. Riot’s 2026 on-demand option changes when the driver runs on qualifying PCs; it does not change the driver’s privilege while running.

Read Riot’s current support and privacy information alongside your PC’s mode and requirements. The removal section below follows Riot’s published Windows route if you decide to uninstall it.

Sources: [1][2][12][13]

Operating-system compatibility is only one field. Riot’s December 2025 security update also explains that certain systems can receive a VAN:Restriction prompt connected with firmware or security requirements. Riot says that receiving such a restriction is not necessarily an accusation of cheating.

That makes exact wording important. A restriction notice, a launch error and a ban are not interchangeable. Before researching a product around a claimed hardware ban, identify which situation the official message describes. A provider cannot establish the scope of Riot’s restriction merely by selling a product with “Vanguard” in its description.

VAN 152 is different from a security-setting prompt: Riot's support page identifies it as a device restriction caused by an HWID ban. The VAN 152 guide covers that exact notice and Riot's support route.

Riot's Windows 11 Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 rule, and the separate VAN 9001 and VAN 9003 meanings, are set out in the Valorant requirement guide.

For the exact meanings of VAN 185, VAN 1067 and VAN 135, use the Vanguard error-code lookup and Riot's dedicated support pages.

Sources: [3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Implementation labels describe the provider’s claimed approach, not permission from Riot. An external program does not become approved software because it is described as outside the game. A screen-based tool is also a distinct description from a conventional external memory tool.

Riot’s third-party application FAQ makes clear that compatibility depends on the application’s behavior and the available interfaces. Its League-focused examples should not be read as an approval list for Valorant cheat products.

For comparisons, look for a named implementation type and concrete feature descriptions. If a listing only says “AI,” “private” or “external,” record that wording without filling in missing architecture. The useful detail is what the provider actually states, plus the limits of that statement.

Sources: [4]

Official Riot sources establish the game and anti-cheat context. Provider listings establish what the brand publishes about a particular product. Reviews may add context about support, but they do not replace the official description of a Riot requirement.

We keep source dates and distinguish the Windows PC category label from stated version support. When a provider does not name exact Windows versions, the listing says Windows PC without inferring support for Windows 10, Windows 11 or any build. We retain provider-stated exceptions and game requirements. Documentation scores measure the clarity of those statements, not functional compatibility.

Riot’s May 30, 2026 support guide says to close Riot games and the Riot Client first. In Windows, open Add or Remove Programs, find Riot Vanguard and choose Uninstall. Riot also lists an uninstall option under Advanced in the Vanguard system-tray menu. Follow the current guide and on-screen prompts for your PC.

Exiting Vanguard is not the same as uninstalling it. Riot says most Riot Client games require Vanguard and that launching the client or a dependent game after removal reinstalls it. Riot’s guide uses the absence of its tray icon after a restart as a completion check. If removal fails, use Riot’s support guide; this page does not reproduce advanced service-removal commands.

Sources: [13][14]

The original source set was reviewed on September 14, 2026. Riot’s June 24 on-demand announcement, May 30 uninstall guide and current support pages were checked on September 30, 2026. The 2020 privacy statement is kept as a dated Riot claim. Recheck the game relationship, operating modes and PC requirements after a material Riot update. Product status and prices need their own check dates.