● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Used CPUs can carry anti-cheat bans, impacting new owners and system components
Key points
- A used AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D carried a Valorant anti-cheat ban.
- Riot Games' Vanguard system blacklisted the new owner's system due to the CPU.
- Riot's hardware bans last a maximum of four months and are game-specific.
- Other anti-cheat systems like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattleEye use permanent HWID bans.
Used CPU Carries Anti-Cheat Ban
A German gamer bought a used AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and subsequently received a Valorant ban. Upon contacting Riot support, the user discovered the CPU was blacklisted by Vanguard on August 12, 2026, due to cheating by its previous owner. The ban, enforced via the CPU's hardware ID (HWID), affected the new owner's Valorant account and system.
Riot Games' Ban Policy
Riot Games anti-cheat specialist Phillip Koskinas stated that Vanguard hardware bans have a maximum duration of four months and are specific to Valorant. Customer support provides information on remaining ban time. The anti-cheat system matches only one component on its denylist, not all parts of a player's PC.
Broader Implications of HWID Bans
This incident is not isolated, as other game titles and developers also utilize HWID bans. Ban conditions vary significantly; Easy Anti-Cheat bans users across all games using its system, while BattleEye enforces permanent global bans. Ricochet, used by Call of Duty, requires Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and contacts Microsoft servers to verify system integrity.
Anti-Cheat System Controversies
Anti-cheat systems have faced criticism for being intrusive and resource-intensive. Some players have raised concerns about their impact on hardware, such as a Valorant anti-cheat update that reportedly soft-bricked cheating hardware. Despite these concerns, many gamers support anti-cheat measures to combat cheaters and improve game integrity.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A gamer purchased a used CPU that carried a Valorant anti-cheat ban from its previous owner, resulting in the new owner's system being blacklisted by the game's anti-cheat engine. This incident highlights a broader issue where hardware ID (HWID) bans, used by various anti-cheat systems, can transfer with used components, potentially affecting innocent buyers and their other system parts.