Valorant Updates Anti-Cheat Measures After Significant Ban Sweep

Valorant's New Anti-Cheat Measures: Ranked Rollbacks to Combat Cheaters

Valorant is escalating its fight against cheaters with the introduction of ranked rollbacks. This new anti-cheat measure will reverse the rank or progress of players whose matches were compromised by hackers. The goal is to deter cheating and ensure fair gameplay for all Valorant players. Importantly, players who were unintentionally teamed with cheaters will retain their rank rating, preventing unfair penalties.

The recent surge in cheating activity prompted Riot Games to take decisive action. Phillip Koskinas, Riot's head of anti-cheat, publicly acknowledged the problem and outlined the new strategy on Twitter, highlighting the increased capabilities of Riot's anti-cheat system. He emphasized that Riot can now impose significantly stronger penalties. Data shared showed a substantial number of cheater bans in January alone, peaking on January 13th.

Addressing concerns about players winning matches with cheaters on their team, Koskinas clarified that those players will not be penalized. Their rank rating will remain unchanged, while the opposing team will have their lost rank restored. Although this approach might lead to some rank inflation, Riot believes it's a necessary step to address the issue effectively.

Valorant's Vanguard anti-cheat system, known for its kernel-level access, has been highly effective in the past. Its success has even influenced other game developers, such as those behind Call of Duty, to adopt similar anti-cheat technologies. Despite past successes, the persistent challenge of cheaters necessitates ongoing efforts.

Riot Games' commitment to combating cheating is evident in the thousands of previous bans. The introduction of ranked rollbacks represents a significant escalation of this commitment, though the long-term effectiveness of this new strategy remains to be seen.