Summary

• Valorant is combatting a surge in cheaters by introducing ranked rollbacks. This means players' ranks will be adjusted if a match is compromised by cheating.
• This new measure aims to punish cheaters and ensure fair gameplay for all Valorant players.
• Players who were teamed with cheaters will retain their rank rating, preventing unfair penalties.

Valorant is implementing ranked rollbacks to tackle the recent increase in cheating. Valorant's head of anti-cheat addressed the issue, warning cheaters that Riot's response is now significantly stronger and detailing the new changes.

Many online games struggle with cheaters seeking unfair advantages. While various anti-cheat strategies exist, cheaters consistently find ways to disrupt fair play. Despite Valorant's generally strong anti-cheat system (Vanguard), a recent rise in hacking has negatively impacted player experience. This prompted Riot Games to take stronger action against cheaters.

Riot Games' head of anti-cheat, Phillip Koskinas, publicly acknowledged Valorant's cheating problem on Twitter, assuring players of the studio's commitment to a solution. A key part of this solution is the upcoming implementation of ranked rollbacks. This means players' rank will be adjusted if their match was negatively impacted by cheaters. Koskinas shared data showing the number of cheaters banned by Vanguard in January, highlighting a peak on January 13th.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

Addressing concerns about players winning matches with cheaters on their team (unfair to both opponents and teammates), Koskinas clarified that players teamed with cheaters will keep their rank, while the opposing team will have their rank restored. Koskinas acknowledged potential inflationary effects but expressed confidence in this strategy.

Valorant's Vanguard system, utilizing kernel-level security, has proven effective in detecting and banning cheaters. Other games, like Call of Duty, have even adopted similar systems. However, despite past successes in driving cheaters out, they persistently find ways to return.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players, offering hope to those frustrated by cheaters in ranked matches. Riot Games' dedication to resolving this issue and mitigating the recent surge in hacking is evident. The long-term effectiveness of the new ranked rollback technique remains to be seen.