Valorant Enhances Anti-Cheat Measures After Banning Violators

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 system will reverse a player's rank or progress if their match was compromised by hackers. This initiative aims to punish cheaters and ensure fair gameplay for all Valorant players. Importantly, players who were on the same team as a cheater will retain their rank rating, preventing unfair penalties for those unintentionally paired with hackers.

The recent surge in cheating activity prompted Riot Games to implement this stricter approach. Phillip Koskinas, Riot's head of anti-cheat, publicly acknowledged the problem and highlighted the studio's intensified efforts to address it. He emphasized Riot's enhanced capabilities to combat cheating, stating they can now "hit so much harder." Data released showed a significant number of cheater bans in January alone, peaking on January 13th.

Ranked Rollbacks: How They Work

The ranked rollback system directly addresses concerns about matches affected by cheaters. A player inquired about the fairness of winning a match with a cheater on their team. Koskinas clarified that while the opposing team will have their rank rating restored, players teamed with hackers will keep their current rating. While acknowledging potential inflationary effects, Riot believes this strategy is the best path forward.

Valorant's Vanguard anti-cheat system, utilizing kernel-level access, has proven highly effective. Its success has even inspired similar implementations in other games like Call of Duty. Despite past successes in banning thousands of cheaters, the persistent nature of cheating necessitates ongoing countermeasures.

Riot Games' commitment to eradicating cheating in Valorant is evident. The effectiveness of the new ranked rollback system remains to be seen, but it represents a significant step in the ongoing battle against unfair play.