Riot Games has introduced a significant change to its Vanguard anti-cheat system, addressing long-standing player concerns about always-on background operation. The new Vanguard: On-Demand feature allows the software to launch only when a Riot title is active and shut down automatically afterward, rather than running continuously from system startup.
How On-Demand Mode Works
The update means Vanguard will no longer appear in the Windows taskbar or consume resources outside of gameplay sessions for eligible users. Philip Koskinas, Director of Riot’s Anti-Cheat, announced the rollout in a company blog post on June 24, 2026, describing it as a shift toward “on-demand sessions from all sufficiently secured PC devices.”
Koskinas explained that the driver component will skip the system startup phase entirely. “By opting into pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows’ own native protection features, Vanguard can safely end its watch, and your taskbar can have 256 of its pixels back,” he wrote. The toggle to switch modes will appear with the next update, after which the system tray icon will no longer be present for those who qualify.
Eligibility and Security Requirements
The option is not universally available. Only around 35 percent of Riot’s player base currently meets the hardware and software criteria for on-demand operation. These are systems already in what Riot calls a “secured core” state, and they will see the toggle appear automatically.
The remaining 65 percent of players must manually enable a set of Windows security features to qualify. The required checklist includes upgrading to Windows 11 version 25H2 and activating Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, Virtualization-Based Security, Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI), and IOMMU.
For those who need assistance, the Vanguard Tray (VGTray) application will scan each system and provide step-by-step guidance on activating the necessary protections.
Optional Adoption and Hardware Limitations
While many newer PCs ship with these security features already enabled, roughly 3 percent of players rely on older hardware that cannot support the full set of requirements. These users will remain on the traditional always-on mode. Riot emphasized that On-Demand mode is strictly optional and will not prevent anyone from playing Valorant or League of Legends, regardless of whether they pass the system check.
Source: www.riotgames.com