Riot Addresses Vanguard DMA Cheat Backlash

Riot Games has addressed backlash after a Vanguard anti-cheat update disabled Direct Memory Access (DMA) cheating devices, sparking accusations that the software permanently damaged hardware. The controversy began when Riot’s anti-cheat account posted an image of the affected devices—commonly known as Heino 2s—with the caption “congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k paperweight,” prompting outrage from both cheaters and some concerned players.

The Vanguard Update and DMA Device Disruption

The update enforced Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) protections, which block DMA devices from accessing protected game memory. Users reported that Vanguard triggered an IOMMU restart warning, after which the DMA firmware became unusable even after uninstalling Vanguard. Some claimed only a full OS reinstall could restore functionality. While Riot acknowledged that systems using DMA cheats might experience instability due to IOMMU enforcement, it stressed that this behavior stems from the security feature itself rather than deliberate damage.

Riot’s Clarification: No Physical Damage

Riot issued a statement denying that Vanguard physically harms PCs or permanently disables devices. “Vanguard does not damage hardware or disable your devices,” the company wrote. It explained that disabling IOMMU would allow the cheat device to function again, but IOMMU remains required to play Riot’s games—so the devices simply cannot work with Valorant. Riot clarified that its “paperweight” comment referred to the devices being useless for cheating in Valorant, not physical destruction. Players not using DMA cheating hardware are entirely unaffected.

Mixed Reactions from the Community

Valorant points buy

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