The Growing Threat of Hackers in Online Games

In recent years, the competitive landscape of video games has faced one of its biggest challenges: the use of cheats and hacks by malicious players. Online games with high competitive appeal, such as Valorant and League of Legends, are constantly targeted by illegal software that offers unfair advantages. To protect the integrity of its games, Riot Games has been leading a true crusade against hackers.

From advanced detection systems to lawsuits against cheat creators, the company has been expanding its arsenal to keep the competitive environment clean. Understand below the main fronts of this technological battle.

Vanguard Anti-Cheat: Riot's Front Line

Riot Games' most well-known tool in the fight against cheaters is Vanguard, an anti-cheat system developed internally and used primarily in Valorant.

How Does Vanguard Work?

Vanguard is a protection system with two levels of operation:

• Kernel-level driver: Runs at a deep level of the operating system, which allows it to detect hacks that act directly on the computer's memory.

• Client-side monitor: Checks the behavior of programs while the game is running.

This approach makes it possible to detect even extremely sophisticated cheats, such as aimbots (automatic aiming) and wallhacks (seeing enemies through walls).

Despite initial criticisms about its depth of access to the user's system, Riot ensured full transparency, informing that Vanguard is only activated during the use of the company's games and respects players' privacy.

New Measures in League of Legends

Although League of Legends is older, Riot is also expanding its anti-cheat efforts in this title. In 2024, the company announced that Vanguard will be implemented in League starting at the end of the year, with the aim of combating bots, automated scripts, and the use of third-party programs that harm honest performance.

In addition, Riot is reviewing matchmaking systems and penalties to punish repeat offenders and strengthen security in ranked matches.

Legal Actions Against Cheat Developers

Another important pillar of Riot's strategy is the legal confrontation of creators and sellers of cheats. In several countries, the company has already filed lawsuits against websites that market cheat software, alleging:

• Copyright infringement;

• Damage to commercial integrity;

• Harm to the community and professional championships.

A notorious example occurred in 2023 when Riot obtained a legal victory against an Australian group responsible for selling hacks for Valorant. The court ordered the payment of over US$10 million in damages, in addition to the immediate removal of the cheat software from the internet.

This type of action not only inhibits the production of cheats but also sends a clear signal to the market: serious companies do not tolerate unfair practices.

Partnership with Other Developers and Platforms

Riot Games has also been joining forces with other giants in the gaming industry to combat cheating in a coordinated manner. In 2022, the Anti-Cheat Police Department was founded, an informal group of developers, digital security experts, and community moderators who exchange information and detection techniques in real time.

In addition, Riot maintains collaborations with platforms such as Steam, Epic Games, and Microsoft to ensure that illegal software is removed from marketplaces and forums that facilitate the sale of hacks.

Direct Communication with the Community

Transparency is one of Riot's most effective weapons in the fight against hackers. Through blogs, videos, and official announcements, the company keeps the community updated on:

• Security updates;

• New Vanguard features;

• Statistics on bans;

• Clarifications on bugs and reports.

This open channel creates a sense of trust between players and developers, in addition to helping users identify suspicious behavior within matches.

Impressive Data on Anti-Cheat Performance

Riot recently released data from its monitoring system, which shows the real impact of actions against hackers:

• More than 750,000 accounts permanently banned in Valorant since the game's launch;

• 35% reduction in matches with detected cheats compared to 2022;

• Average response time of 48 hours for analysis and punishment of proven reports;

• Approval of 4 new patents in cheat detection technologies in the last two years.

These numbers prove that the investments are paying off — and that the competitive environment is more protected.

Challenges That Still Need to Be Overcome

Despite the success of the measures already adopted, the fight against hackers is far from over. With each new security system launched, cheat developers look for ways to circumvent it, creating a true cat-and-mouse game.

Some of the most critical challenges include:

• Cheats based on artificial intelligence, difficult to detect;

• Attacks targeting servers and code leaks;

• Marketing of hacks via private networks and obscure platforms (such as Discord and Telegram);

• Smurf account fraud (low level controlled by experienced players).

The Future of Digital Security in Games

Riot Games has been heavily investing in research and development of predictive solutions, using machine learning and big data. The expectation is that, over time, systems will be able to:

• Predict anomalous behavior even before cheating occurs;

• Automate punishments based on patterns;

• Create real-time blocks, ending suspicious matches before damage is done.

In addition, the company plans to expand its security team and hire more machine learning engineers, ensuring a proactive defense against the most modern threats.

Conclusion

The battle against hackers in online games is increasingly intense, and Riot Games stands out as one of the companies most committed to competitive integrity and a fair experience for its players.

With robust systems like Vanguard, strategic partnerships, firm legal actions, and constant communication with the community, Riot shows that protecting its games goes beyond entertainment — it's a matter of respect for players and the global competitive scene.

While hackers continue to evolve, Riot also evolves — and this war, although difficult, is far from being lost.

Main source of news: Official Riot Games blog and announcements on playvalorant.com and leagueoflegends.com

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