The (often listed as vgk.sys ) is a kernel-mode driver developed by Riot Games . It is the core component of Riot Vanguard , the anti-cheat software used primarily for Valorant and League of Legends .
The VGK driver—specifically —is one of the most powerful and controversial pieces of anti‑cheat software in modern gaming. While its aggressive kernel‑level approach has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, it has also proven highly effective at maintaining a fair competitive environment in Valorant and League of Legends. By understanding what vgk.sys does, why it causes certain errors, and how to fix those errors, you can keep your system stable while still enjoying the games you love.
However, if you value absolute system privacy or have stopped playing Riot’s games, uninstalling the driver is the smart choice. There is no benefit to leaving a kernel driver running for games you no longer play. Vgk Driver
| Feature | Riot Vanguard (vgk.sys) | Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) | BattlEye | |---------|------------------------|----------------------|----------| | | Starts at boot, runs continuously | Starts only when the game launches | Starts only when the game launches | | Kernel‑level | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Data collection | Minimal; unknown file hashes sent only during gameplay | Data from game folder only during gameplay | Primarily cheat signatures | | HWID bans | Yes | Yes (depending on implementation) | Yes | | Third‑party conflicts | Frequent BSODs with antivirus/overclocking software | Generally more stable | Generally more stable | | Number of protected titles | Primarily Riot’s own games (Valorant, League of Legends) | Over 200 titles including Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rust | Widely used in titles like Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG |
For affected users, Riot’s official troubleshooting guide recommends updating the BIOS, disabling overclocking, and – as a last resort – adjusting power limits or using Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) to lower the performance core multiplier. The (often listed as vgk
Fast Startup can interfere with driver initialization. To disable it:
: Neither user‑mode (Ring 3) nor kernel‑mode (Ring 0) programs can write to game memory. Calls such as MmCopyVirtualMemory return STATUS_MEMORY_NOT_ALLOCATED . There is no benefit to leaving a kernel
In May 2026, Riot Games rolled out a landmark update to the vgk.sys driver directly targeting . DMA cards plug into a computer’s PCIe slot, allowing cheaters to utilize external microprocessing hardware to read and manipulate game memory entirely independent of the Windows OS, making them historically difficult to detect.
For official technical support or detailed security breakdowns, you can visit the Riot Games Support Center.