Riot Games is making a major change to Vanguard, its anti-cheat system used in Valorant and League of Legends. After years of criticism over Vanguard running from the moment a PC boots up, the company is introducing a new Vanguard: On-Demand mode that lets eligible players run the anti-cheat only when they are actively playing Riot games.
The update means Vanguard will no longer need to start automatically with Windows on supported systems. Instead, it will launch when players open games such as Valorant or League of Legends, then shut down once the game session ends. For many players, this is a welcome shift, especially for those who disliked seeing Vanguard remain active in the background even when they were not gaming.
Riot Games announced the change on June 24, 2026, explaining that Vanguard’s driver component can now operate on demand for PCs that meet certain modern security standards. The company says the feature is designed to maintain strong anti-cheat protection while giving players more control over when Vanguard is active.
The new option will appear through an upcoming update. Players with compatible systems will see a toggle that allows them to switch Vanguard to On-Demand mode. Once enabled, Vanguard’s system tray icon will no longer need to remain visible when no Riot game is running.
However, not every player will get access to Vanguard: On-Demand immediately. According to Riot, only around 35% of its current player base already meets the full requirements. These are typically players using newer PCs that are already configured with stronger Windows security features.
To use On-Demand mode, players may need to be on Windows 11 version 25H2 and have several security options enabled, including Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, Virtualization-Based Security, Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity, and IOMMU. These features help ensure the system is secure enough for Vanguard to stop running outside active game sessions without weakening anti-cheat enforcement.
For players who do not currently meet the requirements, Riot’s Vanguard Tray app will help by scanning the system and showing which security settings need to be enabled. This should make the setup process easier for users who are not familiar with BIOS settings or Windows security configuration.
Newer gaming PCs will likely meet most or all of the requirements already. Older systems, however, may not support every feature needed for Vanguard: On-Demand. Riot estimates that about 3% of its players will remain limited to the traditional always-on version of Vanguard because their hardware cannot support the required protections.
Importantly, On-Demand mode is optional. Players who cannot enable it, or who choose not to, will still be able to play Valorant and League of Legends. The update does not block access to Riot games for users who remain on the existing always-on setup.
This change comes after renewed discussion around Riot’s anti-cheat policies and recent bans involving DMA hardware. Vanguard has long been one of the most aggressive anti-cheat systems in competitive gaming, and while it has helped Riot fight cheating in Valorant and League of Legends, it has also raised concerns among players who prefer fewer background processes running on their PCs.
With Vanguard: On-Demand, Riot appears to be trying to strike a better balance between competitive integrity and user control. For eligible players, the update should make Vanguard feel less intrusive while still preserving the strong anti-cheat protections that competitive games depend on.
For Valorant and League of Legends players with modern Windows 11 gaming PCs, this may be one of the most meaningful Vanguard updates yet. It reduces background activity, removes the need for Vanguard to launch at startup, and gives players a cleaner system experience when they are not in-game.
