Riot Games has responded to widespread online rumors claiming that its Vanguard anti-cheat system is "bricking" players' computers, firmly denying that the software can damage hardware or permanently disable systems.
The discussion began following a recent Vanguard update used in games such as "Valorant" and "League of Legends," where players reported system warnings and compatibility issues involving DMA (direct memory access) devices.
DMA Device Confusion Sparks Online Panic
The controversy escalated after claims spread that a May 19 update was blocking certain DMA devices using SATA or NVMe firmware.
Some users mistakenly interpreted resulting system errors as permanent hardware damage, sharing screenshots of so-called "red screen of death" incidents across social media.
The situation intensified further after Riot posted a satirical image referencing banned cheating hardware becoming a "$6K paperweight," which some users misread as confirmation that Vanguard had disabled PCs.
Does Vanguard physically damage hardware?
— Riot Games (@riotgames) May 22, 2026
No.
Does this impact hardware or software in any ways unrelated to Riot's games?
No. The IOMMU security protection does not impact hardware, and would only impact the ability of players using DMA cheat devices to play our games.
Are...
Additional reports pointed to instability warnings related to IOMMU (Input-Output Memory Management Unit), fueling speculation that Vanguard was affecting system-level hardware functionality even after the software was removed.
Riot Explains How Vanguard Security Works
Riot Games quickly clarified that Vanguard does not damage or "brick" computers. The company stated that the anti-cheat system enforces standard security protections, including IOMMU requirements on systems detected using DMA-based cheating tools.
According to Riot, these protections are designed to prevent unauthorized memory access and cheating in competitive environments. However, they do not permanently disable hardware or cause lasting system damage.
GameRant reported that the company also noted that disabling IOMMU settings would allow DMA devices to function normally outside of Valorant, though the feature remains required for competitive play to maintain integrity.
Originally published on Player One
