Valorant developers warn that another ban wave is coming soon

Olivia Richman Published 07/07/2020

Valorant’s developers have not lightened up when it comes to their stance on hackers and cheaters. 

Game director Joe “Hephastopheles” Ziegler recently took to Twitter to warn wrongdoers that a ban may be coming their way in the near future. 

“Our platform team has put in a new system that will be going live soon that will inform players if they have been banned and for what reason,” Ziegler said. 

He explained that when the cheaters and hackers log into their accounts, they’ll immediately receive a message telling them why they’ve been banned. They have to click “I understand” and will then become locked out of their account, possibly permanently depending on the offense.  

This message corresponds with the rumor of an incoming ban wave in Valorant reported on July 5. A Reddit post recently shared screenshots from cheating forums showing various members warning each other of their recent bans.

“Currently, a massacre happening in cheats forum, and P2C provider. Cheaters Crying everywhere. They can’t believe it. The dream of having the happy days of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive cheats is fading. Good job, anti-cheat team,” OP wrote. 

Valorant’s anti-cheat system, Vanguard, has been a huge success to this point in the game’s lifespan. Almost 10,000 hackers and cheaters were banned during the closed beta, many of which were not given a second chance once the game was officially released in June. 

Most of the people implementing various hacks in Valorant were not only permanently banned, but hardware banned. While many Valorant players argued that this was harsh, developers stated on Twitter that it was meant to be harsh. 

“Hardware bans are deliberately opaque. Just like magic, you’re not meant to understand how the technology works, and just like all anti-cheat, it’ll still be circumvented eventually. There’s no need to speed that up by being loud about it,” Philip Koskinas stated on Twitter. 

Earlier today, Valorant’s official Twitter posted an ominous tweet with very little context. Some people believe that the burning dragon represents the incoming ban wave. Others are wondering if it’s new weapon skin bundles. Either way, cheaters and hackers have been warned and most won’t have a lot of time left on the popular FPS. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

Twitch

As Streamer University 2026 Ends, Here’s How Streamers Performed Khizar Mundia Kai Cenat returned from a hiatus to host Streamer University 2026, and his decision proved to be correct, with newly-released metrics showing that the event generated millions of views and hours watched on both Twitch and YouTube. There was significant anticipation for Streamer University 2026, and not just because the previous year’s event was a success. The bigger reason for many fans was that Kai Cenat would return from a ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Reportedly Buys $11 Million Warehouse Following Huge 2026 World Cup Tour Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is showing no signs of slowing down after his massively successful FIFA World Cup 2026 tour. The YouTuber has almost 60 million subscribers, and has now reached another milestone by reportedly purchasing a $11 million warehouse for his content creation needs. The IRL YouTuber’s coverage this summer took his global appeal to a new level, and he set major milestones during the World Cup. FIFA made ...

Twitch

Ludwig’s Streamer Games 2026: Dates, Format, Roster and Drama Khizar Mundia Ludwig Ahgren recently appeared in Kai Cenat’s Streamer University 2026 as a professor and he has now announced the Streamer Games 2026. Here’s everything about the event, ranging from the streamers on the roster to drama surrounding the CORE boys. 2026 has been a seemingly good year for Ludwig, as he got engaged to his partner Blaire “QTCinderella” and also became the most beloved professor in Streamer University 2026. However, ...

Kick

A History of Kick Streaming — How the Platform Became Big Khizar Mundia Since its launch in 2022, Kick has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the internet's leading livestreaming platforms. Owing to its generous creator terms, deals with big-name streamers and willingness to challenge Twitch's dominance, it has now become one of the industry's biggest players. Even five years ago, Twitch and YouTube were at the forefront of the streaming industry, and creators picked either platform when they wanted to ...

Twitch

Here’s How Twitch’s New Parental Controls Work Khizar Mundia There is growing discussion about the safety of younger users on livestreaming and social media platforms, with some countries even restricting usage for minors. Twitch has just announced that it has launched optional parental controls, allowing parents to limit their children’s activity on the platform. A move towards parental controls is not a surprise given the global push in recent months towards tighter regulation around social media platforms and age ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Tour in Numbers Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s FIFA World Cup 2026 tour was the largest and most ambitious in his IRL streaming career — the YouTuber met his idols, broke records, and even performed his song at the tournament’s final closing ceremony. Speed is known for his energetic and engaging IRL streams where he interacts with fans, creates wholesome moments, and shows viewers wherever he is in the world. The YouTuber’s FIFA World ...

Slots

Hacksaw Gaming’s Dead By Noon slot has a 10,000x max win — here’s how to land it! Ian John Hacksaw Gaming has returned to one of its most popular themes for its latest slot release — the Wild West. This new game Dead By Noon follows in the footsteps of other Hacksaw classics including Wanted Dead or a Wild, Le Cowboy and Duel at Dawn. The new game is a high volatility slot that offers 14 fixed paylines and a chance to win a whopping 10,000x your stake. It ...