Valorant Making Anti-Cheat Changes Following Major Ban Wave

Summary

• Valorant is implementing ranked rollbacks to reverse progress or rank if a match is affected by cheaters, aiming to crack down on hackers.
• These new measures are designed to penalize cheaters and promote fair play for all Valorant players.
• Players on the same team as hackers will retain their rank rating to avoid unfair losses.

Valorant is taking decisive action against the recent surge of hackers by introducing ranked rollbacks. This initiative aims to reverse any progress or rank lost due to matches affected by cheaters. Riot Games' head of anti-cheat, Phillip Koskinas, has addressed the issue on Twitter, emphasizing the studio's commitment to combat cheating. He warned hackers that Riot can now "hit so much harder," and provided details on the upcoming changes.

Cheating and hacking have long plagued online gaming, with many developers employing various strategies to curb these unfair practices. Despite Valorant boasting one of the best anti-cheat systems in the industry, the game has recently faced an increase in hackers, disrupting the gaming experience for many players. In response, Riot Games is adopting stricter measures to penalize those who cheat.

Koskinas shared a chart illustrating the number of cheaters banned by Riot's Vanguard system in January, with the peak occurring on January 13. This data underscores the ongoing efforts to maintain a fair playing environment.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

A concerned player asked about the implications of winning a match with a hacker on their team, highlighting the unfairness to both the opposing team and teammates of the hacker. Koskinas clarified that in such scenarios, players on the same team as the hacker will retain their rank rating, while the opposing team will have their rank restored. He acknowledged that this approach might be inflationary but expressed confidence in its effectiveness.

Valorant's Vanguard system, renowned for its kernel-level security clearance on PCs, has been instrumental in detecting and banning cheaters. Its success has even inspired similar systems in other popular titles like Call of Duty. Despite the ongoing battle against cheaters, they continue to find ways to circumvent these measures.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players in efforts to curb cheating, offering hope to those affected by hackers in ranked matches. Riot Games remains steadfast in its commitment to resolving this issue and mitigating the latest wave of hackers. The effectiveness of the new ranked rollback strategy will be closely watched by the community.