Riot's New Anti-Cheat: Will It Break Your PC? A Deep Dive
The landscape of PC gaming is increasingly reliant on robust anti-cheat measures. As GearTech has previously covered, kernel-level anti-cheat software – programs running with elevated system privileges – is now commonplace in competitive online multiplayer titles. This allows for early loading and detection of sophisticated cheating methods. More recently, these systems have begun demanding stringent Windows security features like Secure Boot, a TPM 2.0 module, and virtualization-based memory integrity protection. Riot Games, renowned for Valorant and League of Legends, and their Vanguard anti-cheat, consistently pushes the boundaries of these requirements. Now, they’re introducing a new hurdle: a BIOS update requirement, initially for “certain players,” stemming from a discovered UEFI bug that could allow determined cheaters to bypass memory protections. This raises a critical question: will Riot’s latest anti-cheat measures inadvertently render older PCs unplayable?
The UEFI Bug: A Deep Dive into IOMMU Vulnerabilities
The core of the issue lies within the input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) found on some UEFI-based motherboards from multiple vendors. The IOMMU’s primary function is to safeguard system memory from direct access by external hardware during the boot process. Without this protection, malicious actors could potentially manipulate your PC’s memory, enabling cheating. Riot’s discovery revealed a vulnerability (CVE-2025-11901, CVE-2025‑14302, CVE-2025-14303, and CVE-2025-14304) where this pre-boot DMA protection could be disabled, even when enabled in the BIOS, creating a brief window for DMA devices to access RAM.
What is DMA and Why Does It Matter?
Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows hardware subsystems within a computer to access system memory independently of the CPU. While essential for performance, it also presents a security risk. If compromised, DMA can be exploited to read or write to any memory location, potentially bypassing operating system security measures. The IOMMU is designed to mitigate this risk, but the discovered vulnerability weakens that defense.
Initial Rollout: Targeted Restrictions for Suspicious Players
Due to the complexity and relative obscurity of this hardware exploit, Vanguard isn’t immediately enforcing the BIOS requirement on all players. Currently, it applies only to “restricted” Valorant players whose systems exhibit characteristics “too similar to cheaters” who circumvent Vanguard’s security features. This targeted approach aims to address the most pressing threat while minimizing disruption to the broader player base.
However, Riot is considering expanding the BIOS requirement to all players in Valorant’s highest competitive tiers (Ascendant, Immortal, and Radiant). Mohamed Al-Sharifi, a Riot anti-cheat analyst, has also indicated the possibility of extending these restrictions to League of Legends, although no immediate plans are in place. Players blocked by Vanguard will need to download and install the latest BIOS update for their motherboard to regain access to the game.
Motherboard Compatibility: Which Systems Are Affected?
The vulnerability impacts four major PC motherboard manufacturers: ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI. All four have released updates for some of their newer motherboards, with further updates planned. The situation with OEM systems (Dell, Lenovo, Acer, HP) remains unclear, with vulnerability notes not specifying their status.
Chipset Breakdown: A Vendor-by-Vendor Analysis
- ASRock: Affected Intel boards based on the 500-, 600-, 700-, and 800-series chipsets.
- MSI: Affected boards with 600- and 700-series chipsets.
- Asus: Affected boards based on 400-, 600-, and 700-series Intel chipsets.
- Gigabyte: Affected boards with 600-through-800-series Intel chipsets and AMD’s 600- and 800-series chipsets (AM5 socket).
Collectively, these chipsets support Intel’s 10th-generation Core processors and newer, and AMD Ryzen 7000 series and newer. However, the lack of clarity regarding unmentioned chipsets raises concerns. Are they unaffected, will they be patched later, or will they remain vulnerable?
The Risk to Older Systems: A Potential Lockout?
A significant concern is the potential for gamers with older systems to be locked out of games. Crucially, vendors haven’t explicitly addressed support for AMD’s socket AM4 chipsets (300-500 series) or Intel’s 2018-era 300-series chipsets. These support Intel’s 8th- and 9th-generation Core CPUs and AMD’s Ryzen 2000, 3000, and 5000 CPU families – still capable of running Windows 11 and meeting Vanguard’s standard security requirements.
If a system configuration is deemed suspicious or vulnerable and a motherboard or PC manufacturer doesn’t offer an update, players could find themselves unable to play. While this may not affect a large percentage of players, particularly those in higher competitive tiers who frequently upgrade, it poses a real problem for those with older or hand-me-down PCs. The prospect of BIOS-version-based anti-cheat checks could disproportionately impact budget-conscious gamers.
The Upgrade Dilemma: Cost and Diminishing Returns
PC upgrading has become less appealing in recent years. Recent CPU and GPU updates offer relatively modest performance gains, and component shortages have driven up prices. A motherboard upgrade often necessitates a CPU upgrade and a new RAM kit, significantly increasing the cost. Forcing users to upgrade hardware prematurely is a concerning prospect.
The current market conditions make upgrading a less attractive proposition. The cost of entry for a competitive gaming PC is high, and the performance gains for each dollar spent are diminishing. Anything that might compel users to upgrade before they’re ready deserves careful scrutiny.
What’s Next? Seeking Clarity from Key Players
GearTech has reached out to Riot, Intel, AMD, and multiple motherboard vendors for comment regarding the vulnerability and patch availability for older boards. We will update this article as soon as we receive a response. The key questions remain:
- Are older boards and chipsets affected by the IOMMU bug?
- Will they receive patches?
- What recourse will players have if their systems are deemed vulnerable but lack available updates?
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between the need for effective anti-cheat measures and the accessibility of PC gaming. While protecting the integrity of competitive games is paramount, it’s crucial to avoid inadvertently excluding players with older hardware. The industry needs to find a balance that ensures fair play without creating an insurmountable barrier to entry for budget-conscious gamers. The future of anti-cheat may well depend on it.