Valorant Making Anti-Cheat Changes Following Major Ban Wave

Summary

• Valorant is implementing ranked rollbacks to combat hackers by reversing progress or rank if a match is affected by cheaters.
• These new measures aim to penalize cheaters and ensure fair play for all Valorant players.
• Players on the same team as hackers will retain their rank rating to prevent unfair losses.

Valorant is taking decisive action against the recent surge of hackers by introducing ranked rollbacks. This initiative is part of Riot Games' broader strategy to maintain a fair and enjoyable gaming environment. Phillip Koskinas, Valorant's head of anti-cheat, has publicly addressed the issue, emphasizing Riot's enhanced capabilities to tackle cheating. He stated that Riot can now "hit so much harder" against cheaters, detailing the new changes that will soon be implemented.

Cheating remains a persistent challenge across many online games, with players often seeking unfair advantages. Despite Valorant boasting one of the most robust anti-cheat systems in the industry, a recent increase in hacking has disrupted player experiences. In response, Riot Games is intensifying its efforts to penalize those who cheat.

Koskinas used Twitter to acknowledge the cheating problem and reassure the Valorant community that Riot is actively working on solutions. The upcoming ranked rollbacks will reverse players' progress or rank if their match was compromised by cheaters. To illustrate the scale of the issue, Koskinas shared data showing the number of cheaters banned by Riot's Vanguard system in January, with a peak on January 13.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

A player raised concerns about the fairness of winning a match with a cheater on their team, highlighting the injustice to both the opposing team and those unwittingly paired with hackers. Koskinas clarified that players on the same team as hackers will keep their rank rating, while the opposing team will have theirs restored. He acknowledged that this approach might lead to some inflation in rankings but expressed confidence in moving forward with this strategy.

Valorant's Vanguard system, known for its kernel-level security on PCs, has been highly effective in detecting and banning cheaters. Its success has inspired other games, such as Call of Duty, to adopt similar anti-cheat measures. Despite these efforts, cheaters continue to find ways to return to the game.

Riot Games has already banned thousands of players, demonstrating their commitment to eradicating cheating from Valorant. The introduction of ranked rollbacks is a promising step toward reducing the impact of hackers on ranked matches. Whether this new technique will prove effective in the long run remains to be seen, but Riot's dedication to fair play is clear.