What Vanguard On-Demand Mode Is and Why It Matters
Vanguard on-demand mode is a new Riot anti-cheat setup that runs the Vanguard driver only while a Riot game is open, instead of loading at Windows startup and staying active in the background at all times. It aims to reduce privacy worries, free system resources when you are not playing, and still keep the same level of kernel-level protection during matches. The change targets long-standing complaints about Vanguard’s always-on design, which has been in place since Valorant launched. With on-demand mode enabled, the system-tray icon appears only while a Riot title is running, and the driver fully shuts down when you quit. It does not change how deep Vanguard runs in the system; it only changes when it runs. For players who prefer the original approach, the traditional always-on version remains available and enabled by default.
Vanguard Pre-Check: Hardware and Windows Requirements
To disable always-on anti-cheat and move to Vanguard on-demand mode, your PC must pass Vanguard Pre-Check, a set of security requirements tied to newer Windows builds. You need Windows 11 25H2 or later, running in UEFI mode with Secure Boot enabled, plus TPM 2.0 active on your motherboard. Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) must be turned on so Windows can verify kernel code in an isolated environment, and an IOMMU must be present to block unsafe direct memory access from PCIe devices. Many of these options live in your BIOS or UEFI firmware menus, which Vanguard cannot change for you. Riot advises checking your motherboard documentation before making edits, as wording differs between vendors. According to Riot’s Phillip Koskinas, about 34–35 percent of players already meet all Vanguard Pre-Check requirements out of the box.
How to Check Eligibility and Enable On-Demand Mode
Once your system meets the Vanguard Pre-Check requirements, the next step is confirming eligibility and switching your Riot anti-cheat setup. After updating to the latest Riot client and Vanguard version, you will see a Pre-Check diagnostic that verifies Windows 11 25H2, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, VBS, HVCI, and IOMMU status. If everything passes, the client exposes a setting that lets you move Vanguard from always-on to on-demand mode. You manage this through your Riot account and client settings, rather than through Windows services. When on-demand mode is enabled, Vanguard’s kernel driver will no longer start at boot; instead, it loads when you open a Riot game and shuts down when you exit. If your system fails Pre-Check, you can either adjust BIOS options, upgrade hardware in rare cases, or continue using the existing always-on configuration without any changes.
Security, Performance, and What Stays the Same
The main concern with disabling an always-on anti-cheat is whether it weakens security. On-demand mode avoids that by relying on Microsoft’s Runtime Driver Attestation Report, which records every driver loaded since boot using the system’s TPM. Vanguard can read that report when a game starts and confirm that no vulnerable driver slipped in earlier to inject cheats into the kernel. This removes the old “who loads first” problem that forced Vanguard to start at boot. Vanguard still operates at the kernel level when active, and cheaters remain a small but real presence: Riot reports that they appear in about 0.7 percent of ranked matches across Valorant and League of Legends. For players, the difference is everyday comfort—less background activity, a cleaner taskbar—and the option to keep the familiar always-on anti-cheat setup if they prefer it.
