Summary

• Valorant is implementing ranked rollbacks to combat hackers by reversing progress or rank if a match is affected by cheaters.
• These measures aim to penalize cheaters and ensure fair play for all Valorant players.
• Players on the same team as hackers will retain their rank rating, avoiding unfair losses.

Valorant is taking decisive action against the recent surge in hackers with the introduction of ranked rollbacks. This new approach is designed to reverse players' progress or rank if their match is compromised by cheaters. Phillip Koskinas, Valorant’s head of anti-cheat, has publicly addressed the issue, warning cheaters that Riot Games can now "hit so much harder" and detailing the forthcoming changes.

Cheating and hacking pose significant challenges in online gaming, often disrupting fair play. Despite Valorant's renowned anti-cheat system, the game has experienced a notable increase in hackers, negatively impacting players' experiences. In response, Riot Games is implementing stricter measures to penalize those who cheat.

Koskinas took to Twitter to acknowledge the cheating problem and reassure the Valorant community that the studio is actively addressing it. As part of their strategy, Riot Games will soon introduce ranked rollbacks. If a match is lost due to cheaters, players' progress or rank will be reversed. Koskinas shared data illustrating the effectiveness of Riot's Vanguard system, which banned a significant number of cheaters in January, with the peak occurring on January 13.

Riot Games' Future Valorant Bans Will Include Ranked Rollbacks

A concerned player inquired about the fairness of winning a match with a cheater on their team, highlighting the injustice faced by both the opposing team and those unwittingly teamed with hackers. In response, Koskinas clarified that players on the same team as hackers will retain their rank rating, while the opposing team's rating will be restored. He acknowledged that this approach might lead to inflation in rankings but expressed confidence in moving forward with the strategy.

Valorant's Vanguard system, known for its kernel-level security clearance on PCs, has proven highly effective in detecting and banning cheaters. Its success has inspired other popular games, such as Call of Duty, to adopt similar systems. Despite the efforts of game studios to eliminate cheating, hackers often find new ways to return.

Valorant has already banned thousands of players in the past, providing hope to those affected by hackers in ranked matches. Riot Games' commitment to resolving this issue and curbing the latest wave of hackers is evident. The effectiveness of the new ranked rollback technique will be closely watched in the coming months.