Valorant Implements Anti-Cheat Updates After Major Ban Wave

Summary

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

Valorant is taking decisive action against the recent surge in hackers by introducing ranked rollbacks. This new system aims to reverse any progress or rank lost due to matches affected by cheaters. Valorant’s head of anti-cheat, Phillip Koskinas, has publicly addressed the issue, emphasizing Riot's capability to "hit so much harder now" with these updated measures.

Cheating and hacking have long plagued online gaming, with various companies employing different tactics to combat these unfair practices. Despite Valorant boasting one of the industry's most robust anti-cheat systems, a recent increase in hackers has disrupted player experiences. In response, Riot Games is intensifying its efforts to penalize cheaters and restore fairness.

Koskinas took to Twitter to acknowledge the cheating problem and reassure the Valorant community that Riot is actively working on solutions. The introduction of ranked rollbacks is a key part of this strategy. If a match is lost due to cheating, the affected players' ranks will be rolled back to their previous state. Koskinas shared a chart illustrating 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 retain their rank rating, while the opposing team will have their ranks restored. He acknowledged that this approach might lead to some inflation in rankings but expressed confidence in moving forward with the 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, hackers continue to find ways to circumvent these systems.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players, offering hope to those frustrated by hackers in their ranked matches. Riot Games remains committed to addressing this issue and curbing the latest wave of cheating. The effectiveness of the new ranked rollback system will be closely watched by the community.