Valorant's anti-cheat system, known for its effectiveness through Vanguard, is implementing new measures to combat cheaters. According to GamerDoc, a senior anti-cheat analyst for this system, a recent update has significantly enhanced protection against unauthorized software.

The update involves mandatory activation of HVCI (Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity) — a Windows security feature that protects the operating system's kernel from external threats. This change affects users who may encounter a "VAN: RESTRICION" error if they do not enable this feature before launching the game.

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Users are reporting the first instances of account bans due to the new anti-cheat measures, corroborated by screenshots from cheat community chats where players complain of game launch issues due to new security requirements.

Riot Games has also provided recommendations for users experiencing the "VAN: RESTRICION" error, including activating TPM, transitioning to UEFI, enabling Secure Boot, and updating the Windows operating system. These steps are aimed at ensuring compatibility with the updated game security requirements.