Valorant Making Anti-Cheat Changes Following Major Ban Wave

Summary

• Valorant is combating cheaters with a new ranked rollback system. This reverses rank or progress for matches compromised by hackers.
• This aims to punish cheaters and ensure fair play for all Valorant players.
• Players teamed with hackers will retain their rank rating, preventing unfair penalties.

Valorant is implementing ranked rollbacks to combat a recent surge in hackers. Valorant's head of anti-cheat addressed the issue, warning cheaters of Riot's strengthened response and detailing the new system.

Many online games struggle with cheaters seeking unfair advantages. While various anti-cheat strategies exist, cheaters persistently undermine fair play. Despite Valorant's generally robust anti-cheat system, a recent increase in hacking has negatively impacted player experience. This prompted Riot Games to adopt stricter measures.

Riot Games' head of anti-cheat, Phillip Koskinas, acknowledged Valorant's cheating problem on Twitter, assuring players of ongoing efforts to resolve it. A key element of this strategy is the upcoming implementation of ranked rollbacks—reversing player rank or progress in matches affected by cheaters. Koskinas shared data showcasing the number of cheaters banned by Riot's Vanguard system in January, with a peak on January 13th.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

Addressing concerns about players winning matches with cheaters on their team (unfair to both opponents and teammates), Koskinas clarified that players on teams with hackers will retain their rank rating, while the opposing team will have theirs restored. Koskinas acknowledged potential inflationary effects but expressed confidence in this approach.

Valorant's Vanguard system, utilizing kernel-level security, has proven highly effective in detecting and banning cheaters. Other games, such as Call of Duty, have adopted similar systems. While studios successfully deter cheaters, they often find ways to return.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players, offering hope to those affected by ranked matches with hackers. Riot Games' commitment to resolving this issue and reducing the current wave of cheaters is evident. The long-term effectiveness of the new ranked rollback technique remains to be seen.