Valorant anti-cheat is very aggressive. It requires that you install a piece of code at the very core of your PC’s operating system. This is why installing Valorant requires a reboot.

This software is ALWAYS ON even if you are not playing the game. https://twitter.com/mirta0001/status/1249505373838626820

While it is not unusual for anti-cheat to have low level software at the kernel level, it IS unusual to have this software running even if you are not playing the game at all.

You could easily stop playing Valorant and forget this was there.

Meanwhile it’s a ripe hacker hook.

Riot explains this is a necessary step to fighting cheats, which often exploit the fact that anti-cheat only runs during startup. Cheat will modify the OS in ways to “hide” itself from this startup sequence.

Yes, but...

By having this software on, even if it is not doing anything or sending anything to Riot when you are not playing the game, it’s still giving hackers a new attack vector on your computer.

Also, Riot’s Valorant already has a aimbot cheat, so how well is it working anyhow?

Hackers can potentially use Valorant’s “always on” low level hooks to gain high level access to your PC, even if you aren’t playing the game.

Security is only as good as your Operating System. If you simply install Valorant, without even running the game, your PC’s security is now only as good at Riot’s coders.

You are placing your entire PC’s security in the hands of Riot 24/7.

I’m not saying don’t play Valorant. I am saying that you should be aware of the risks. I do plan to play, and I plan to uninstall if after I’m done paying it, or put it on an isolated PC if I play regularly.

I believe that we should find ways to avoid OS level anti-cheat tools. These deep hooks create potential vulnerabilities. They also have access to all the data on your PC.

For now, this is all we have, but Riot take’s it a step further into murky security waters too murky for me

Another approach to running Valorant with less risk is to run Valorant in a VM. Uncertain how well this will perform.

Go ahead and play the game. Just be aware of the risks.