Riot Games bans 296,000 accounts for rank manipulation

Riot Games has penalized 296,416 accounts in League of Legends and VALORANT due to rank manipulation since late 2025. The enforcement is driven by the Anti-Boost system, which is integrated into the company’s Vanguard anti-cheat software.

The system identifies irregular progress where a high-skill player boosts the rank of another user. The detection mechanism was implemented in League of Legends in 2025 and expanded to VALORANT in July 2026.

Punishments vary based on the severity of the infraction. Actions include reversing fraudulent ranks, removing seasonal rewards, and issuing temporary suspensions. Accounts identified as purchased or lacking a legitimate owner face permanent bans. Riot Games noted that the system is not yet operating at full capacity, suggesting further penalties are expected in the coming months.

Identified prohibited behaviors include hiring boosters, using or borrowing accounts to face weaker opponents, lending accounts to higher-level players, and repeatedly playing with users who intentionally lower their rank to facilitate boosting.