News Valorant Enforcing TPM on Windows 11 PCs to Keep Cheaters at Bay

[Admin]

Starting with Windows 11, Riot Games is requiring all PCs to feature a TPM to play Valorant, in an effort to reduce the number of cheaters infiltrating the game.

Valorant Enforcing TPM on Windows 11 PCs to Keep Cheaters at Bay : Read more

 

[drea.drechsler]

So if I understand it right it's actually the players computer, or possibly CPU, that's being banned and not the player per se.

If so, can we expect used CPU's and pre-builts turning up on eBay (or your favorite flea market site) that will not be able to play Valorant...or any other game that follows their lead...if the PO got themself banned when using it?

 

[eichwana]

I've seen enough companies weilding their ban hammer in a far too heavy handed manner to be supportive of this. Where I've been lucky enough to not have been banned from any games (probably because I don't play many multiplayer games), I know of people who have been banned for cheating because of programs like fraps and discord's game overlay.

 

[bigdragon]

Is Valorant one of those super-grindy games with a huge progression system? I've never played it and have zero interest in it. Just curious if it's the type of game I'd be motivated to completely cheat the progression system of because I hate games that think I want to be playing them for hundreds or thousands of hours without a steady stream of community/modded content.

Enforcing TPM and Secure Boot sounds like a good idea. Riot is likely to beat a ton of cheaters who are not aware of how TPM and Secure Boot work. Cheat users don't necessarily have the technical knowledge to know what to do if they get caught. However, there are ways around Riot's implementation without having to replace motherboards or CPUs. I would expect cheat developers to publish such instructions to their customers.

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Imagine if Microsoft, Adobe, and other software developers start doing this, blacklisting TPMs for some reason...As if the used hardware market wasn't already, imagine buying a motherboard that's effectively bricked, and there's no way to know it before you go though the hassle of installing it.

 

[-Fran-]

The false positives are going to be fun to deal with.

Also, can't you just change the TPM and re-install Windows? Sounds like a useless "feature".

Regards.

 

[Sleepy_Hollowed]

Imagine if Microsoft, Adobe, and other software developers start doing this, blacklisting TPMs for some reason...As if the used hardware market wasn't already, imagine buying a motherboard that's effectively bricked, and there's no way to know it before you go though the hassle of installing it.

This is a DRM feature and I’m sure here partners in this.
I’m also assuming hardware TPMs are going t be rare or be placed right where you either use a gaming card or a hardware TPM.
Good times ahead for the companies.

 

[deesider]

The false positives are going to be fun to deal with.

Also, can't you just change the TPM and re-install Windows? Sounds like a useless "feature".

Regards.

I assume most people will be relying on a fTPM that is part of the CPU.

Not sure if installing a discrete TPM chip onto the motherboard will replace the fTPM - but if so the 'normal' price for one is about $8. That seems like a small price to pay for a cheater to access the game, especially seeing the rampant cheating and bans in Counter Strike that require a new game and steam account to circumvent.

 

[-Fran-]

I assume most people will be relying on a fTPM that is part of the CPU.

Not sure if installing a discrete TPM chip onto the motherboard will replace the fTPM - but if so the 'normal' price for one is about $8. That seems like a small price to pay for a cheater to access the game, especially seeing the rampant cheating and bans in Counter Strike that require a new game and steam account to circumvent.

Not only that; I'm sure the same cheaters will find a way to spoof the keys somehow via a kernel hack. At the end of the day, everything is exposed via the kernel.

Regards.

 

[Deleted member 2783327]

I don't condone or support cheating, but I don't support the installation of rootkits, which is what Riots Vanguard is. This is required to be running from start up, even when you are not running the game. The rootkit already gives them the ability to abuse their anti-cheat system and take actions against you for things that they have no jurisdiction over. Eg games that are not even theirs.

I'm a system builder by trade, and it scares the hell out of me every time someone says they play Riot games. I've talked some people out of it after explaining the downsides.

Adding a TPM gives TenCent enhanced control over your system. The requirement for TPMs is not as noble as Microsoft would have us believe and I will never use a system that requires the use of one. There are other strategies for keeping PCs safe-ish.

If I read this right, they could ban your system, not your account. So you'd have to upgrade to be able to play. The number of fase positives too is a worry. Sorry, I do not believe this is a good move.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[missingxtension]

How long until you are tracked on the internet with tpm? What keeps this game makers from selling a list of tpm fingerprints to third parties and what's keeping other companies from doing the same...they might have just upped the the game for the wrong industry

 

[Deleted member 14196]

¯\(ツ)/¯. I don’t play online with cheaters much. I am sure there’s a few cheaters in red dead but it doesn’t seem like that many. Sometimes we ran into someone that we can’t kill

 

[bigdragon]

Not only that; I'm sure the same cheaters will find a way to spoof the keys somehow via a kernel hack. At the end of the day, everything is exposed via the kernel.

There will probably be a way to spoof, but it's way easier to just use a revocable key.