Riot Games is deploying multi-factor authentication and targeted account bans in Patch 11.09 to tackle smurfing and boosting in Valorant. The move will force certain suspicious accounts to enable MFA via Riot Mobile, while accounts believed to be bought or used for boosting will face bans.
Like other multiplayer titles, Valorant has struggled with smurfs who borrow or buy lower-ranked accounts so they can dominate matches. Back in May, Riot announced that it would be introducing multi-factor authentication as a tool to reduce account sharing and smurfing, a plan that drew mixed reactions. Riot now states that MFA will only target suspicious accounts and that a regional beta is launching as the team monitors results and feedback.
Riot said on September 18: “Playing against smurfs is one of the most frustrating experiences in VALORANT, so as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce smurfing, we’re requiring certain accounts to activate MFA through Riot Mobile.” Riot added that starting in patch 11.09, it will issue bans for accounts believed to have been purchased and for accounts detected as used for boosting.
Players who will need to activate MFA will either have been detected as a shared account, suspected of having different players use the same account, or be ranked in Ascendant or above as of Patch 11.10.
“If you are not sharing your account with any other player, your experience should not be any different than it is today – you will not be asked to complete any additional verification, though MFA is still a great way to protect your account,” Riot added. From Patch 11.08 onward, players can report others for ‘Rank Manipulation’ ahead of broader MFA rollouts to more regions. Riot said the system may be adjusted over time, and the team wants feedback to help shape how MFA and bans work in practice.
Join the conversation in the comments and follow us on X and Bluesky.
