Riot Games Now Requires Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat Software for League of Legends, Following Valorant's Implementation

cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/10958052

Vanguard, the controversial anti-cheat software initially attached to Valorant, is now also coming to League of Legends.

Summary:

The article discusses Riot Games’ requirement for players to install their Vanguard anti-cheat software, which runs at the kernel level, in order to play their games such as League of Legends and Valorant. The software aims to combat cheating by scanning for known vulnerabilities and blocking them, as well as monitoring for suspicious activity while the game is being played. However, the use of kernel-level software raises concerns about privacy and security, as it grants the company complete access to users’ devices.

The article highlights that Riot Games is owned by Tencent, a Chinese tech giant that has been involved in censorship and surveillance activities in China. This raises concerns that Vanguard could potentially be used for similar purposes, such as monitoring players’ activity and restricting free speech in-game.

Ultimately, the decision to install Vanguard rests with players, but the article urges caution and encourages players to consider the potential risks and implications before doing so.

FriendBesto,

Kernel level? Hahaha. No thanks.

NotJustForMe,

My biggest issue wouldn’t even be the kernel level access, but the fact that the stuff is written and tested by no one in particular. The possible bugs are the issue for me.

If that thing would be bullet-proof, hackers trying for years to break it without success, yeah. Ok. I could be convinced. If it is cracked after two days already… Then nope.

toastal,

Will their future MMO have this trash?

Grass,

Meh just another crappy rootkit game that doesn’t even fully prevent cheating at the cost of undermining system security. But for worse or worse, the entire playerbase doesn’t care about their data being bought and sold for immense profits they get 0% of.

Dehydrated,

Riot Games Now Requires Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat Software

In other words, a Chinese rootkit. Wouldn’t want a Chinese backdoor in my kernel, but that’s just my personal opinion. If you want one, go ahead, install this garbage.

kionite231,

You already have NSA backdoors in your device.

Grass,

I don’t support this existing, but does the nsa collect and sell all your data to third parties and make a shitload of money doing so? Because everyone else definitely does. I don’t know how difficult it is now, but some number of years ago you could request a copy of all the data some of the social media sites have on you and it’s fucking scary especially with how much is deduced, presumably from piecing together info from your entire social network.

Dehydrated,

Well, if you install this Riot Games rootkit, you now also have a Chinese backdoor.

LaSaucisseMasquee,

What is your point exactly ?

ekZepp,
@ekZepp@lemmy.world avatar

More like Anti-Linux Software since the cheat works great.

Xirup, (edited )

One more reason to switch to Linux! (It can’t run Valorant)

agitatedpotato,

Not supporting a game is not a reason to switch to linux, and the more games aren’t supported, the less people are gonna switch. The Linux zeal on this site is comical.

“Haha my OS cant play games that have millions of concurrent daily users each!”

How the year of the Linux gaming PC coming?

jinarched, (edited )
@jinarched@lemm.ee avatar

OP was saying something along the lines of ‘if Valorant can’t run on Linux, it’s a sign your privacy is much less compromised.’ After all this community is specifically about privacy.

Prunebutt, (edited )

It’s the other way around: no game is worth sacrificing security and privacy by giving it kernel level access.

The argument is: more and more games are running on Linux and there’s a damn good reason not to play the ones that don’t at all.

agitatedpotato, (edited )

That’s a great argument for the extremely small percentage of gamers who give a damn about that, but just about all of them are already on linux, so if that’s the way forward for linux gaming, congrats it’s at full saturation. This site is wild. Downvotes for pointing out thay not running games thay millions play a day is bad for gaming on the OS. I may as well be talking to Republicans about Biden. You’re zealots.

Go on the legaue and valorant forums see how many of the millions you can convince that Linux security is more important than being able to play with their friends.

Gabu,

I don’t give a shit if a billion people suddenly decide that shooting their own brains is a great idea, shooting yourself is still a bad idea.

R00bot,
@R00bot@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Hey bud. The original comment was a joke.

agitatedpotato,

Lol bold opinion on this site when people are already responding that its good for Linux gaming that it won’t play games that has intrusive anticheat. I’ll admit sure it’s better for security, but to think that’s a good thing for gaming on Linux is hilarious.

R00bot,
@R00bot@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

No, it’s obviously better to have the choice (run the game or not). And losing a game that previously worked on Linux is obviously a bad thing, hence the joke about it being good.

Of course you could argue that taking a stance against this kind of intrusive anticheat is good in the long run. If Microsoft had a backbone they’d do the same.

But yeah losing games because of anticheat is obviously a bad thing lol. No need to take it so seriously.

agitatedpotato, (edited )

The comment was about valorant, did that one ever work on Linux, if so I wasn’t aware that they figured it out. Didnt seem like a joke, and people are unironocally agreeing with it soooo

Prunebutt,

So, requiring to puncture the security and privacy of your PC for a game is ok, as long as millions of players are affected. Did I understand you correctly, here?

joyjoy,

The same people would let Sony install a rootkit so they can listen to music on their PC.

agitatedpotato, (edited )

Nowhere did I say that, what I said is most gamers do not care. So what I’m implying is if you want Linux desktop OS to overtake the next highest competitor (which is ‘OS unknown’ btw) you’re going to need to do better. For at least the past 20 years gaming has been a social phenomena more than anything else, and not being able to play games that millions play daily isn’t a brag for linux gaming just because you’re more secure than they are. Unknown OS is ahead of linux on desktop share, not just gaming desktop, all desktop. Linux ranks just below a statistical anomaly and just above chrome os. If that’s fine with you than fine, but if you’re one of the people for whom gaming is a very social thing, then you’re probably never moving to linux at this rate, or at least hope things get better. But apparently I’m the only one unsatisfied with what gaming on linux looks like, and everyone else loves it as is. Welp, if that’s how it is and this is what linux gaming is supposed to be, then it’s defiantly not for me either.

Prunebutt,

Name checks out.

It was a joke, chill your beans.

turkalino,
@turkalino@lemmy.yachts avatar

How the year of the Linux gaming PC coming?

You’re right, it’s been absolutely devastating not being able to play games on my computer. I’ll go cry over my video game consoles.

agitatedpotato,

League of Legends doesn’t run on console . . .

turkalino,
@turkalino@lemmy.yachts avatar

You’re right, it’s been absolutely devastating not being able to play a 14-year old game that I have no interest in playing on my computer. I’ll go cry over my video game consoles.

Xirup,

It may sound silly, but for a lot of people being unable to play games like Valorant, Warzone or League of Legends it’s actually a feature and not a bug or a problem.

agitatedpotato, (edited )

Pro tip, you can not install those games on literally every OS, so even if that’s a feature for you, its one you absolutely do not need linux for.

“Thats the best part of my ti 89 calculator. It doesn’t play Lol Cod or Valorant!”

What a brilliant feature, that calculator was ahead of its time.

Neps,
@Neps@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Ima tell you right now 90% probably more of the val community wouldnt play the game on linux or switch regardless of if it ran or not so it so it doesnt really matter

Crack0n7uesday,

Correct me if I’m wrong but if it can’t run Valorant then it can’t run the game in general, so you’d be just as well off by not playing Riot games on a Windoze or Mac machine as well.

AtmaJnana,

Oh. Now I remember why I have never played League of Legends.

Rose,

This has been known for years and it’s not different from the behavior of EAC, whether it’s good or bad.

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