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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]
2 clusters · 13 sources · 4 days · First seen · Last updated
Valorant hardware bans on secondhand AMD CPUs
Overview
Reports have emerged regarding Valorant players being banned from the game after installing secondhand AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processors. The bans appear to be triggered by Riot Games’ Vanguard anti-cheat system, which utilizes unique hardware identifiers.
Because AMD integrates the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) directly into the CPU silicon, the cryptographic identity may travel with the processor, potentially carrying a previous owner’s ban to a new user. While some players claimed the ban affected multiple components like motherboards and hard drives, Phillip Koskinas, Riot’s anti-cheat lead, disputed this, stating that hardware bans are game-specific and do not “infect” or add other unrelated components to a denylist.
Koskinas noted that hardware bans typically have a maximum duration of four months. The situation highlights a growing risk for consumers purchasing used PC hardware for competitive gaming, as there is currently no way to verify if a processor carries a persistent hardware fingerprint from a prior ban.
Entities
Phillip Koskinas · Riot Games · VALORANT · AMD · Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Timeline
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[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sourcesValorant hardware bans linked to secondhand AMD CPUs
A Valorant player claims a secondhand AMD Ryzen CPU caused a hardware ban due to the previous owner's cheating, highlighting how TPM-based anti-cheat software tracks unique hardware identifiers.
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[TECHNOLOGY] 10 sourcesRiot Games hardware ban affects user with used CPU
A gamer facing a Valorant hardware ban after purchasing a used AMD CPU has sparked debate over anti-cheat systems and the risks of buying second-hand computer components.
Sources
bild.de · blocktempo.com · dexerto.com · gamestar.de · it-boltwise.de · it.slashdot.org · korben.info · medcom.id · que.es · shiftdelete.net · teknoblog.com · telepolis.pl · world-today-journal.com