Riot gives 'final warning' to VALORANT players using skin hacks

There are almost a thousand different skins to choose from in VALORANT, with collections and individual cosmetics sitting at prices ranging from relatively affordable to outrageously high. While some players might believe that certain price points are justified, other players have turned to a new way to have all the skins they wish: skin hacks. Although this might seem like a better option for some, Riot Games has issued a stern warning for those who are considering such methods.

Issuing banhammers on skin hackers

Anti-cheat analyst Mohamed "GamerDoc" Al-Sharifi has confirmed that if a player is caught using any programs or tools to access the skins in VALORANT, they will be given a 14-day suspension. If they are caught using the programs after that initial suspension, however, players will be given a permanent ban instead. It is a hefty punishment for those that wish to look good on the battlefield, but there is a proper reason behind the decision to bring the banhammer on these individuals.

According to GamerDoc, the same tools and programs that give access to different skins are also used for malicious means, such as aimbot, wallhacks, and more. Riot's developers are not always able to discern these programs between those using it for skins and those that are using it for an unfair advantage in their games. As a result, they cannot risk "leaving the door open" for cheaters to run rampant, and will be giving out suspensions and bans for anyone using third-party programs. It is a necessary step to curb the amount of cheaters in the game that are able to sidestep the Vanguard anti-cheat, and should keep competitive integrity at its highest.

An increase in reports and bans

On February 4, Riot acknowledged that there had been an increased number of reports in VALORANT to start off the year, and the devs confirmed that there were more cheaters over the last few weeks during the company's holiday break. To alleviate some concerns, however, Phillip “mirageofpenguins” Koskinas said that after the team returned to the offices to apply updates and hotfixes to Vanguard, cheating instances dropped to "optimal levels." Additionally, the amount of cheaters in VALORANT has been lowered to less than one percent globally, along with plans to release "surprise updates" to dissuade cheat developers over the coming year.

Ultimately, Riot is taking all of the steps necessary to keep VALORANT as fair as possible across all levels of play. It might force some players to open up their wallets for their favorite skins, but it is a necessary sacrifice to take in exchange for a safe playing environment where cheaters are far and few between.

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