Riot, the creator of League of Legends, one of the most popular video games in the US, launched Valorant in 2020. Keeping up with the tradition, Valorant was an instant hit too. The online multiplayer is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular FPS games in history.
Despite its popularity, one aspect of the game that has garnered some criticism is its custom game security software, namely Vanguard. The software runs at the kernel level, meaning it has a great amount of control over the gamer’s PC. It has thus been labeled ‘unusually intrusive’. This has led gamers to wonder if they can protect their privacy and play Valorant without Vanguard.
However, there is no possible way for you to play Valorant without Vanguard. In fact, the driver runs even when you are not playing the game. According to Riot, the very strict anti-cheat software is necessary to ensure competitive integrity in the game, something that it refuses to compromise on.
Is Riot Vanguard Safe?
The client and the driver of riot Vanguard have both been developed in-house. Riot keeps ensuring every one of the highest levels of commitment towards the privacy and safety of Valorant players. However, there is no denying that kernel-level software has full control over everything and bypasses even the OS safety breaks.
In short, Riot Vanguard may be safe for now but there is no guarantee that it will be in the future too. With the rapid increase in hackers, always on the lookout for systematic vulnerabilities, this game, and its anti-cheat software is, at best, a risk. In case a hacker manages to figure out a loop-hole, the kernel-mode driver would let them have full control of your system, giving them access to all your information.
Can you Delete Valorant Vanguard?
If you would like to run specific programs on your PC that Vanguard could flag as a potential threat, you can disable the software for a while. But remember that since the game does not work without Vanguard, in order to get back to playing it, you will have to re-enable it by restarting your computer.
However, in case you feel like the potential risk of your data and privacy being compromised is too big for you to take, you can delete Valorant and Vanguard both. It is important to remember that you will have to delete the game and Vanguard separately.
How to Delete Valorant and Vanguard:
If you try to delete Valorant without deleting Vanguard, an error message will pop up. So, to get the game off of your system, you need to delete the cheat detection system first.
Here’s how you can delete Valorant and Vanguard:
- Open your System tray, right-click on the red Vanguard icon and select ‘Exit’.
- A pop-up message will ask you if you want to turn it off. Click Yes.
- After that’s done, you can uninstall both through the ‘Add or Remove Programs’ option in the system settings of your device.
Why Can’t I Delete Vanguard?
Sometimes your system fails to remove all the folders and files associated with Vanguard, resulting in an uninstallation error. To remove the error you can make use of the following methods:
Uninstall using the Safe Mode
Since Vanguard has a software driver component, using the safe mode to uninstall it will most likely work. Booting your computer in safe mode prevents third-party drivers from loading up and could thereby resolve your issue.
- To turn on the safe mode, open the Update and Security tab on your Settings page.
- Click the Recovery option and open Recovery Settings.
- You’ll now see an Advanced Startup option and a sub-option. Click the Restart Now sub-option.
- Once your device has restarted, you’ll see an options screen. Choose Troubleshoot in it.
- Now choose Advanced Options, then Startup Settings >Restart.
- Select and enable the Safe Mode with the Networking option.
- You can now uninstall Vanguard normally.
Microsoft Install/Uninstall Troubleshooter
Microsoft has a special tool dedicated to troubleshooting errors such as this one. If using the safe mode method doesn’t work for you, you can install the troubleshooter and then follow the directions it gives to successfully get Valorant and Vanguard off of your system.
Is Valorant Malware?
Riot has admitted that the software is not exclusive to just running the game and starts as soon as you switch on your PC. Considering this, there have been accusations that Riot’s anti-cheat client for the game is in fact malware.
Although Valorant is incredibly invasive, it is NOT malware. There’s no denying that the first-person hero shooter game does require complete access to your PC in order for you to play. Still, that does not mean that it is spyware.
While Riot itself may not have any malicious intentions and claims to value the privacy of Valorant players, the truth is that it is still just as vulnerable to security breaches and cyber threats as any other company. So installing and playing the game, while fun, is also a risk.
Is Valorant Heating Up My PC?
Users have been complaining of raised temperatures after installing the 5v5 multiplayer. But no, there is no feature in the game or its anti-cheat system that could heat up your PC.
The overheating of PCs being noticed by some users can be attributed to the software blocking function of Vanguard. Overheating due to the game can be a problem for you only If you rely on fan control and temperature monitoring software to control the temperature of your device.
If that is the case, ensure that Vanguard hasn’t blocked your cooling software when you reboot it the first time after installing the game. It would have saved Valorant players plenty of hassle if the system would just notify them when it blocks software. That way the users would be aware in case it blocks something that is of importance to them and their devices.
Keeping in view such complaints, Riot now blocks lesser software and claims to be constantly working on eradicating issues and making the Valorant experience better for its users.