League of Legends has recently come under scrutiny for its prevalent cheating problem, with Riot Games revealing alarming statistics indicating that as many as one in 15 matches have involved cheaters. The company is set to combat this issue with the introduction of Vanguard, an advanced anti-cheat software.
According to a recent League of Legends developer blog post, the global prevalence of scripters or botters in matches is as high as one in 15, with certain regions experiencing rates as high as one in five. This revelation has surprised many, as cheating in the game was previously considered relatively uncommon.
The blog post further highlighted concerning statistics, such as scripters boasting an 80% win rate in ranked matches and over 10% of Master+ games being infiltrated by cheaters. The ease of obtaining new accounts for cheating purposes, with level 30 accounts available for purchase online for as little as $1.99, has exacerbated the issue.
Riot Games emphasized the necessity of Vanguard, citing the ineffectiveness of current anti-cheat systems that are easily circumvented by cheat manufacturers. Vanguard's deeper level anti-cheat technology aims to thwart cheat producers by operating at a level that is difficult to breach, ensuring a more secure gaming environment.
An intriguing experiment mentioned in the blog post involved allowing cheaters to submit handwritten apologies for unbanning, only for 91% of those accounts to be banned again within six months. This underscores the futility of alternative methods in combating cheating, further underscoring the need for robust anti-cheat measures.
Vanguard, already in use for Valorant, is slated for a global rollout in League of Legends in the near future. While the implementation may face backlash from some players, the revealed statistics suggest that it is a crucial step towards addressing the pervasive issue of cheating in the game. The impact of Vanguard on gameplay experience remains to be seen upon its launch.
