Riot Games has intensified its war against cheating in Valorant with a Vanguard update that neutralizes DMA PCIe devices, such as the Heino 2.0. These devices, valued at around $6,000, allowed cheaters to evade detection by the anti-cheat system. The new measure permanently disables their firmware, even after closing the game or uninstalling Vanguard, leaving offenders with no viable option.
The Technology Behind Vanguard's Permanent Block 🛡️
Vanguard operates at the kernel level and can now identify and alter the firmware of DMA devices connected to the PCIe bus. Upon detecting unauthorized hardware, such as the Heino 2.0, it executes a routine that corrupts its boot instructions. This prevents the device from functioning correctly, even if the system is restarted or the game is reinstalled. The only technical way out for the cheater is to reinstall the operating system from scratch, but Vanguard detects it again when Valorant is launched, rendering the process useless.
Cheaters Cry Over Luxury Paperweights 😂
Some affected individuals have threatened a class-action lawsuit, arguing that Riot damaged their property. An engineer responded that these devices were designed to bypass the game's protections, so there isn't much to claim. The community is laughing at the thought of a cheater explaining to their bank that they need a loan for another $6,000 device because the previous one is now a high-tech paperweight.