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 implementing ranked rollbacks in order to crack down on the recent wave of hackers. Valorant’s head of anti-cheat commented on the current situation with cheaters, warning them that Riot can “hit so much harder now” and explaining what the new changes entail.

Many online games suffer from issues with cheaters and hackers who try to gain unfair advantages. Many companies implement different strategies to eliminate them, but cheaters often find ways to keep disturbing fair play. Even though Valorant leads the list of games with the best anti-cheat system, it has recently been affected by a rise in hackers that are ruining players’ experiences. That’s why Riot Games is now taking stricter measures to penalize cheaters.

Riot Games’ head of anti-cheat, Phillip Koskinas, took to Twitter to acknowledge the current cheating problem in Valorant and assured players that the studio is actively working to solve it. As part of the new strategy, Riot Games will soon be implementing ranked rollbacks, meaning players’ progress or rank will be reversed if their match was lost due to cheaters. Koskinas shared a chart that shows the number of cheaters banned by Riot's Vanguard system in January alone, with the highest number occurring on January 13.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

One player was curious about what would happen if they won a match with a cheater on their team, pointing out that this is unfair not only to the enemy team but also to those who are teamed up with hackers. Koskinas responded that players on the same team as hackers will keep their rank rating, while the enemy team will get theirs back. Koskinas explained this measure may be inflationary, but the studio trusts that it’ll be okay to move forward with the strategy.

Valorant’s Vanguard system has proven to be highly effective at detecting and banning cheaters, as it uses a kernel-level security clearance on PCs. Popular games like Call of Duty have even implemented systems similar to Valorant’s in order to crack down on hackers. Even though studios have managed to drive cheaters out of their games, they always seem to find a way to come back.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players in the past, which gives hope to players putting up with hackers in their ranked matches. Riot Games has shown itself to be absolutely committed to solving this problem and reducing the latest wave of hackers. Whether the new ranked rollback technique will be effective remains to be seen.

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Valorant
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Shooter
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
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Released
June 2, 2020
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Riot Games
Publisher(s)
Riot Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PS5 & Xbox Series X/S
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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VALORANT is a character-based 5v5 tactical shooter set on the global stage. Outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition with tactical abilities, precise gunplay, and adaptive teamwork.
DEFY THE LIMITS
Blend your style and experience on a global, competitive stage. You have 13 rounds to attack and defend your side using sharp gunplay and tactical abilities. And, with one life per-round, you'll need to think faster than your opponent if you want to survive. Take on foes across Competitive and Unranked modes as well as Deathmatch and Spike Rush.
CREATIVITY IS YOUR GREATEST WEAPON
More than guns and bullets, you’ll choose an Agent armed with adaptive, swift, and lethal abilities that create opportunities to let your gunplay shine. No two Agents play alike, just as no two highlight reels will look the same.
FIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
Each map is a playground to showcase your creative thinking. Purpose-built for team strategies, spectacular plays, and clutch moments. Make the play others will imitate for years to come.

Cross Save
Yes
Genre(s)
Shooter
OpenCritic Rating
Strong