On July 8, Pu Liu, the Game Director for League of Legends, made an announcement on social media about Riot’s plans to improve the detection and punishment of “soft inting,” a significant issue in the game.

Soft inting involves players making deliberate mistakes during a match without being obvious enough to be penalized for offenses like trolling or helping the enemy team.

Liu explained that with the help of Vanguard, Riot can now issue hardware bans, meaning they can suspend a player’s computer, not just their accounts. He then asked the LoL community for their opinions on how quickly Riot should start applying hardware bans for soft inting. Many players responded, with a majority favoring a more lenient approach.

Spideraxe, a popular League account, suggested a lenient stance, stating that hardware bans should only be used for repeat offenders. He believes that Riot could explore more creative punishments before resorting to hardware bans, such as limiting the players to bot matches.

However, some community members expressed concerns that Riot might end up hardware banning players who are simply having a bad game rather than intentionally sabotaging matches to annoy their teammates.

On the game’s subreddit, players generally supported immediate hardware bans and even called for stricter measures. One Reddit user suggested not only immediate hardware bans but also punishing the main accounts of players who engage in such behavior on their alternate accounts.

As of now, Liu has not publicly responded to any of the community’s feedback, leaving players to wait and see how quickly Riot will move from suspending accounts to implementing hardware bans.

Riot Games has been actively addressing problematic and toxic behavior across its major titles. The company has taken a strong stance against harassment in Valorant and cheating in League of Legends. This new focus on tackling soft inting is part of Riot’s ongoing effort to create a better gaming experience for its players.

Over the past day, League of Legends players have been experiencing problems with multiple games due to errors and issues with the company’s anti-cheat system, Vanguard.

League of Legends’ Vanguard anti-cheat was designed to eliminate scripters and botters from the game. However, due to some networking issues, many players were wrongly banned during their matches.

As a result of this problem, almost everyone in some matches was immediately disconnected. Moreover, some of the players affected by this issue have not had their bans lifted. Not only were they dropped from their matches, but they also lost their accounts.

This situation doesn’t apply to everyone, but even those who weren’t banned received a loss and an LP penalty. The ranked system severely punishes players who leave matches. As a result, those affected by this issue will face consequences for several matches and lose significantly more LP from just one loss.

Players who leave games experience greatly reduced LP gains for several matches after the initial loss. This penalty is applied regardless of whether they were reported by other players or not. This means that the burden falls on them either way, impacting their progress and ranking in the game.

The developers have responded, explaining that the bans were mistakenly handed out due to a “backend networking issue.” While they confirmed that the harshest penalties would be removed, they did not provide any information on whether players who lost LP or received LP penalties from losing a match would get any compensation.

“We’re investigating an occurence where players received errors and Vanguard error messaging due to a backend networking issue. Keep an eye in-client for updates. Any bans or restrictions that were served due to this error will be lifted ASAP.”

These LP losses could have led to players being demoted and significantly set back in their personal progress. Therefore, it makes sense that players are upset about this situation. Additionally, no details were provided about how this problem occurred, other than the announcement from the development team.

League players have been skeptical of Vanguard ever since it was introduced, with many claiming that the game no longer works on their PCs because of it.

LoL devs responded to Vanguard “bricking” players PC

Vanguard, which was originally featured in Riot’s Valorant launch, operates at the kernel level and has faced criticism in the past for its extensive access to users’ systems, leading some to label it as spyware.

Despite previous controversy, Riot proceeded to implement Vanguard into League of Legends with the release of patch 14.9 on May 1. Since then, numerous players have taken to social media platforms like Reddit to report that the anti-cheat software is “bricking” their computers or disrupting their internal functions.

Notably, prominent League content creator Nick ‘LS’ De Cesare shared his experience of the anti-cheat system allegedly rendering two of his PCs unusable and cautioned players to approach the update with caution.

However, Riot’s senior anti-cheat analyst, Matt ‘K30’ Paoletti, took to Reddit to refute claims that the technical issues stem from Vanguard’s implementation.

“An issue like this wouldn’t be related to Vanguard. If you haven’t restarted your computer in a while, it could related to an issue with your CMOS battery, since that’s what powers the start-up chain,”

In a comprehensive statement on Reddit, K30 also clarified that Riot has not confirmed the software’s role in causing PCs to malfunction.

“Since 14.9 went live, fewer than 0.03% of players have reported issues with Vanguard. In most cases, these are common error codes such as VAN codes 128, 152, 1067, -81, 9001, or 68 that are easily solved through player support or troubleshooting, and account for the vast majority of issues we are seeing,”

Furthermore, he announced the company’s intention to release a detailed report on the rollout of Vanguard in the near future, offering transparency regarding its impact on players’ systems.

Riot Games’ Vanguard, an anti-cheat software initially developed for VALORANT, underwent refinement before its anticipated release in League of Legends. Initially slated for an early 2024 debut, Riot’s plans shifted several times. Despite an announcement confirming Vanguard’s arrival in League on March 6, the timeline was altered again, leading to speculation among fans about its eventual release.

When Patch 14.5 was released on March 6, many players anticipated Vanguard’s inclusion on a global scale. However, Riot opted for a last-minute pivot, favoring a gradual, region-based rollout strategy instead. The Philippines became the first region to receive Vanguard, marking a departure from the initial plan of a global release.

As of now, an official release date for Vanguard in League remains uncertain. Speculation suggests it may be introduced with Patch 14.6, but historical delays indicate it could take longer for Riot developers to deliver the software.

While Vanguard’s implementation in League is crucial for maintaining fair gameplay, it hasn’t been without controversy. Past iterations of the software were prone to false positives, detecting innocuous programs like MSI Afterburner as cheat software, leading to confusion among players.

For most players, Vanguard’s integration into League should be seamless, with minimal impact on performance. Unless using an outdated gaming PC, players may not even notice Vanguard running in the background. Occasional errors like “Vanguard not initialized” may occur but are usually swiftly addressed through frequent hotfixes rolled out by Riot.

While the delay in Vanguard’s release may disappoint some, there’s no shortage of content to enjoy in the meantime.

LoL players complain about upcoming Vanguard anti-cheat

Initially, Riot’s plan was to deploy Vanguard across all League regions simultaneously. However, recent developments have prompted a shift in strategy. The introduction of the anti-cheat system will commence in the Philippines with the arrival of Patch 14.5 on Wednesday, March 6th. This selective launch in Southeast Asia is intended to afford Riot’s engineers more time to assess Vanguard’s performance within the client before a broader release.

Players in other regions may anticipate the integration of Vanguard into their League programs starting from Patch 14.6, provided there are no critical issues uncovered during the testing phase in the Philippines.

Riot’s confirmation of the anti-cheat’s impending arrival has been met with strong opposition from the League player base. While players of VALORANT have gradually accepted the anti-cheat software, many within the League community adamantly demand that Riot reconsider its implementation.

One of the primary grievances expressed within the League community is the belief that cheating is not prevalent enough in the game to justify what they perceive as an “unprecedented level of system invasion and control” from Riot. While instances of botting and cheating do occur in normal matches, such occurrences are significantly less frequent in ranked play.

In summary, while Riot proceeds with the implementation of Vanguard, considerable apprehension and uncertainty persist among many players regarding its implications for the League of Legends experience.

LoL content creation is poised for a potential transformation, as Riot Games gears up to implement its anti-cheat system, Vanguard. While this move a crucial step in curbing cheating, it brings with it unintended consequences for content creators like SkinSpotlights.

Riot Games initially introduced the Vanguard system in VALORANT, and has deemed its implementation successful. Now, Riot announced plans to extend the reach of Vanguard to League of Legends by the end of February or early March. The primary aim is to address issues related to bots, scripters, and cheaters, particularly in ranked games.

However, the arrival of Vanguard challenges for content creators who rely on third-party software for their work. SkinSpotlights, a prominent YouTuber known for their content showcasing skin models, is among those affected.

In a Twitter post on January 11, SkinSpotlights revealed plans to scale back their content from Patch 14.4 onward due to the limitations by Vanguard.

The nature of Vanguard, requiring activation during LoL gameplay and whenever the client is open, adds an extra layer of complexity. Uninstalling Vanguard results in the League client becoming inoperable, leaving no room for a workaround. This poses a significant challenge for dataminers and content creators who use specific third-party tools in their work.

The potential reduction in content from SkinSpotlights raises concerns among players who rely on their videos to assess skin models before making purchase decisions. While splash art may capture the essence of a skin, SkinSpotlights’ in-game skin model videos have been a valuable resource for players, helping them avoid regrettable skin purchases.

As the LoL community grapples with these changes, there is a hope that Riot Games might consider solutions to support content creators affected by Vanguard. The possibility of developing a creator client, allowing creators like SkinSpotlights to continue their work within the bounds of the anti-cheat system, remains a topic of speculation.

Fears loom large as Riot Games plans to implement the Riot Vanguard system in League of Legends, a move initially designed for Valorant to combat cheaters. Riot’s commitment to a robust anti-cheat system has led to the decision to extend Vanguard’s reach to the League of Legends environment, aiming to crack down on scripts, bots, and various third-party programs.

The implementation, however, raises concerns among content creators, particularly those who rely on third-party programs to use custom skins for their favorite champions.

New Vanguard changes caused headaches for LoL content creators

The crackdown on third-party tools poses a potential threat to the very essence of these custom creations, leaving creators worried about the future usability of their designs.

One apprehensive player voiced their concern, suggesting that Riot’s announcement regarding the integration of Vanguard to play League is indicative of an imminent incompatibility with custom skins, rendering them practically unusable.

The ripple effect of this decision extends beyond custom skins, impacting tools used by creators to enhance their content.

Renowned League content creator, SkinSpotlights, expressed the significant impact the Vanguard implementation would have on their work. The third-party program integral to their video creation process would face substantial challenges, affecting aspects such as fast video recording, camera positioning, S Marks, interactions, and chromas.

As the League of Legends landscape evolves with the introduction of Vanguard, content creators navigate the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their contents, hoping for solutions that will allow them to continue adding their unique flair.

The delicate balance between preserving the integrity of the game and accommodating the creative pursuits of the community remains a challenge that Riot Games must address in the ongoing quest for a fair and secure environment.

Cheating in video games is defined as employing unauthorized techniques to get an unfair advantage in the game. Cheating is rather common in video games these days, and League of Legends is no exception.

Riot Games’ system was targeted by a social engineering attack earlier this year. The hackers obtained the source code for both League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics during the assault, which contains game information as well as anti-cheat methods.

Because the source code was stolen, there will almost probably be more cheats in the game. In order to tackle such cheats, Riot is attempting to strengthen their anti-cheat system.

League of Legends improved anti-cheat

Riot Meddler, League Studio’s Head, has acknowledged that they are working on enhancing their anti-cheat system. He did not reveal any other information regarding the new anti-cheat system for security concerns. Riot already has a very excellent anti-cheat for VALORANT called Vanguard, thus something similar will most certainly be added for League of Legends.

Despite the fact that Vanguard is likely to keep cheats out, there is still a privacy risk. Riot may access all data on your machine since the anti-cheat grants Riot kernel-level access. And few individuals want to give a firm complete access to their machines.

A quick mention for League players, Vanguard does not operate on Linux-based operating systems. So, if there’s any new ani-cheat system similar to Vanguard for League, there might be a possibility that it won’t work on Linux, either.

The proof is in ranked matches, especially in Asia sever, Hackers are raging everywhere. They strafed so much that Paul Chamberlain, one of the developers of Valorant, have to seek help from forums like Reddit in order to detect cheaters efficiently.

To prove that there are issues in Vanguard, players community showed an account of Chinese player, who achieved the highest rank in Valorant, Radiant, by only hack.

As you can see, Phoenix – hero has the highest K/D/A on scoreboard and also has Radiant rank, performed too good in that situation. After headshot an enemy at Window, he instantly turned 360 degree then shot only 1 bullet INTO THE WALL, that bullet killed the last player with a headshot.

Of course, this act can’t be ignored by his teammates. Many other proofs also showed that he achieved this rank with help from aim-bot and wall-hack software. This proved the weakness of Vanguard and the ability to anti-cheat of Riot in their new FPS game.

This caused a stir in the community, and, one more time, China is the land of hacker. Before this, in CSGO, many players did not hesitate to leave the game when they saw a Chinese player have too many unbelievable kills. Some players suggested that every game must have an alternative sever only for hackers from China.

VALORANT Beginner’s Guide: How to play, rules and ranking matches

Instructions to create an account, download and install Valorant

The installation of Valorant must be surprisingly easy.

• If you already have a Riot account (not League of Legends account of Garena/VED), you can log in to the game’s website https://playvalorant.com to download without any effort.

• If you do not have an account, registration is also very easy: in the upper right corner of the homepage there is a red “Play Now” button, when clicking on it you can select the “I don’t have a Riot Account yet , make one” to create a new account.

Note, if you want to play foreign servers, then when creating an account, you need to change the IP to the corresponding country (for example, the US server is changed to American IP, Southeast Asia then to Singapore IP,…) because Riot server has a mechanism User IP recognition and automatic area identification. If using your own country to registered IP, it may be difficult if you want to play another server.

To create a new account, just follow Riot’s instructions:

• Enter your email in the box and press the arrow button -> to continue.
• Enter the date of birth in the format of day / month / year.
• Choose a username. This will be the name you use to log in to future Riot games, not just Valorant or League of Legends.
• Finally, you only need to enter the password. This password must meet three conditions to be required (“Okay” and upwards ), at least 8 characters long, with both letters and numbers.

Once you have an account, all you need to do is log into the playvalorant.com and click the Download button. This browser will download an installer to manage the game installation. It will display the Terms of Use that gamers need to scroll through before they can press the “Accept” button to accept.

Note: if you want to change the game installation location, when you have just opened the installer then you see a big red Install button, right below it is the Advanced Option button that allows you to change the game installation location.

The process of installing the game is very fast because even though the game client is 7.3GB (it will be expand in the future when there are new characters, new guns, new skins are released,…) you only need to download 3.6 GB.

Familiarize yourself with the gameplay

If you have never played Valorant, we will prepare an upcoming article on the basics to know in the gameplay like how to buy skills or use ultimate, how to set the bombs and how long the bomb explodes,… Stay tuned! If you intend to “go pro” into a professional player, take a look at the information about the rating mode called Valorant’s Rated.

Be careful with Anti-cheat

You probably know that during beta testing, the thing that made Riot reproached the most was Vanguard anti-cheat software. By running at the highest privilege level, Vanguard is capable of blocking quite a lot of other software including Windows mouse-mouse driver, CPU-Z driver. In most cases, these drivers have security problems or have been used by crooks to “hack” and cheat into games, but there are also cases of mistakes such as blocking LED driver software. (only reasonable if the LED increases the fighting power of gamers), the software to adjust the fan speed …

In the most serious cases, Vanguard can prevent gamers from playing other games available on the device or affect the frame rate. If you encounter this, what you need to do is remove Vanguard from your device in two simple steps:

• Open Windows Add / Remove Program. You can do this by entering its name in the search box from the Start menu.
• Find Vanguard (not Valorant) and remove it.

Some common bugs and errors with Valorant and Vanguard

Error Code 44: Vanguard not initialized

This is an error that for some reason Vanguard cannot start. There are a few measures you can try:

• Exit the game and reopen it. This gives Vanguard a chance to correct the mistake before you “execute” it with the second method.
• Remove Vanguard by following the two steps have mentioned above, re-enabling the Valorant client to download a new Vanguard. Restart the PC.

If both of the above measures are invalid, it’s time to ask Riot. Go to the Riot Support page and select the “Submit a ticket” button at the bottom of the page. I hope this will help you get rid of Error Code 43: Vanguard not initialized.

Mouse, keys do not run when turning on the device

This error occurred because Vanguard blocked a driver named Interception of PC. Riot has released a hotfix to fix Vanguard blocking the driver indiscriminately, but most likely your computer is still having problems for some reason. To restore the function of the mouse and keys, you need to turn on the device in Safe Mode with Networking (The procedure differs depending on the motherboard manufacturer).

However, a gamer on Reddit has posted a bug fix posted by the FaceIT team.

After booting the device in Safe Mode with Networking, download the Interception 1.0.1.

• Extract this file to a specific location on your computer, such as C: \ Temp\Interception.
• Open a command prompt on the pc: go to the Start menu, type cmd in the search box. Select “run as administrator”
• Enter the code: cd “the path to where you extracted it” (without the quotes), for example, cd C: \ Temp \ Interception.
• Enter the code: cd install-interception.exe/uninstall

After performing the above steps to remove the Interception, you just need to restart the device and Vanguard, Valorant and mouse, keyboard will work normally.

Stuck in the loading screen

If you’re stuck on the loading screen, there’s currently no workaround besides waiting for Riot to fix it, but there are ways to help you overcome this problem temporarily:

• Check your internet connection again. Valorant will be stuck at loading permanently if you lose connection while loading.
• Reinstall the game.
• Open the game by right-clicking on the game, selecting “run as administrator”.
• Delete the manifest.txt file in the game installation directory.

Some other error codes

Error Code 4: Occurs when your display name does not match. You can change it by enter Riot Games homepage.

Error Code 5: Someone else logged in to your account.

Error Code 7: Unable to connect to the server. Your account may have been locked out for some reason or technical issue.

Error Code 8-21: Riot client error. Try turning off – reopen the client to fix it.

Error Code 29: Network error. If the firewall is turned on, try to turn it off and reconnect.

Error Code 29: Could not get player account information. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 31: Error caused by the Riot client is turned off. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 43: Timeout error. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 45: Vanguard needs to be restarted. Try restarting the Riot client. If the problem persists, uninstall Vanguard and reinstall it as the Guide above.

Error Code 46: Server maintenance.

Error Code 49: Server chat error. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 50: Error with voice chat. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 51: Error with the party creation system. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 52: Error retrieving skill information. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 53: Error with the chat server. Try restarting the Riot client.

Error Code 54: Error due to Valorant not getting gamer’s account information. Try restarting the Riot client.

Hopefully the information in this article has helped you create an account, set up and log in to Valorant. See you again in the next article of the Game of Valorant!