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 anti-cheat measure will reverse a player's rank or progress if their match was compromised by hackers. The goal is to deter cheating and ensure fair gameplay for all Valorant players.
The recent surge in cheating activity prompted Riot Games to take decisive action. Phillip Koskinas, Riot's head of anti-cheat, confirmed the issue and highlighted the increased capabilities of Riot's anti-cheat systems, stating they can now "hit so much harder." He emphasized that the ranked rollback system is a key component of this strengthened approach.
While many online games struggle with persistent cheating, Valorant has generally boasted a robust anti-cheat system (Vanguard). However, a recent increase in hackers necessitated a more aggressive response.
Koskinas's Twitter announcement detailed the significant number of cheaters banned in January alone, peaking on January 13th. The data underscores Riot's ongoing efforts to combat cheating.
Impact of Ranked Rollbacks
A key question addressed by Koskinas concerned players who win matches with cheaters on their team. To prevent unfair penalties, players teamed with hackers will retain their rank rating. Conversely, opposing teams affected by cheaters will have their rank adjusted to compensate for the unfair loss. Koskinas acknowledged the potential for rank inflation with this approach but expressed confidence in its overall effectiveness.
Valorant's Vanguard system, utilizing kernel-level security, has proven highly effective in detecting and banning cheaters, serving as a model for other games like Call of Duty. Despite past successes in reducing cheating, the persistent nature of this issue necessitates ongoing adaptation and improvements.
Thousands of players have already been banned, offering hope to those frustrated by cheaters in ranked matches. Riot's commitment to resolving this issue is evident, but the long-term effectiveness of the ranked rollback system remains to be seen.
