Riot Says VALORANT Hardware Bans Don’t Spread From One PC Part to Others

A player says a used CPU carried a ban logged in August, while Riot says its hardware restrictions last no more than four months.

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A hooded figure holds a CPU beside an open desktop PC, with crossed red chains suggesting a game hardware ban.

A VALORANT player says a secondhand CPU came with its previous owner’s game ban, but Riot’s anti-cheat lead disputes the claim that the restriction spread to the rest of the PC.

Reddit user After-Cartoonist-196 says they bought the processor on September 21 and that the previous owner’s ban was logged on August 12. The player also alleges Riot support said the restriction applied to their other components and could not be lifted.

Gebrauchte CPU erlaubt kein Valorant
byu/After-Cartoonist-196 inPCBaumeister

Riot anti-cheat head Phillip Koskinas said he could not find a support ticket matching the account and called the story unlikely. He said hardware bans last no more than four months, apply only to the game where cheating was detected, and have a remaining duration that support can provide on request.

I couldn't find his ticket, but this is pretty unlikely. Our hw bans only last 4 months maximum, they're game-specific, and support tells you the time remaining on the ban when you write in.

We also don't add "everything else" onto the denylist when we match one component.

— Phillip Koskinas (@deteccphilippe) October 2, 2026

Koskinas also rejected the claim that Riot adds a PC’s other components to its denylist when it detects one banned component.

Hardware bans last 4 months maximum, they apply only to the game cheats were detected in, and we don't ban "everything else" when we match one component. Support will give you the time remaining on request.

If it were up to me, we'd have soul bans that followed them into hell. https://t.co/HqRpsxLcyR

— Phillip Koskinas (@deteccphilippe) October 2, 2026

The CPU’s status remains unconfirmed. Koskinas challenged the account and disputed the alleged system-wide ban, but did not confirm whether this specific processor carried an active VALORANT restriction. If the August 12 date is accurate, a four-month maximum would still allow a ban to remain active in early October.

Have you ever had a used PC component trigger a game restriction? Stay connected for more context on Riot’s hardware-ban rules through X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

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