Valorant has updated its AFK penalty system to address AFKs, queue dodging, and similar disruptive behaviors. Riot Games has implemented these changes to improve match quality and overall player experience
TL;DR
- Riot Games updated Valorant’s AFK penalty system to reduce disruptive behavior in Competitive and Swiftplay.
- Frequent AFKs and queue dodges now receive faster rating decreases and firmer penalties.
- Competitive AFKs decreased by 20% and Swiftplay by 6% since patch 11.05.
- Only repeat offenders are impacted; most players will notice fewer AFKs and remakes.
- Riot continues monitoring and may adjust for unrated modes and comms toxicity in future updates.
What are AFK penalties
AFK penalties are designed to track and discourage players from leaving matches, being inactive, or avoiding games through dodges. These systems monitor behavior over time, issue warnings for one-off instances, and apply firmer penalties for repeat offenders
Ratings decrease when disruptive behavior is detected and gradually recover when a player participates without further incidents. The severity depends on the behavior. AFKing for six rounds impacts ratings more than AFKing for two rounds
Why Riot changed their AFK penalty system
Behavior ratings were generally high across the board, but Riot noticed the system did not adequately track certain patterns. Small cohorts of players were frequently disruptive but avoided proper penalties
Players with frequent minor AFKs such as one to three rounds every other game
Players with high play volume but multiple AFKs such as 150 games with 15 AFKs
Although these players represent less than 1% of the total population, they accounted for 13% of all AFKs in competitive, Swiftplay, and unrated. This small group has a large impact on match quality
What Riot changed
Riot focused on two questions
- Are ratings adjusted appropriately based on behavior patterns
- Are penalties sufficient to deter repeated disruptions
Movement adjustments in Patch 11.00
Ratings now decrease more reliably for players with frequent AFKs or similar behaviors
Penalty adjustments in Patch 11.05
AFK remakes and queue dodges now scale more quickly for frequent offenders, especially in higher ranks like Immortal and Radiant
Players outside these frequent-offender cohorts will not see harsher penalties but should benefit from fewer AFKs and repeated remakes
Early results
The changes have already reduced disruptive behavior
Competitive players saw a 20 percent decrease in AFKs and similar behaviors
Swiftplay players saw a 6 percent decrease in AFKs and similar behaviors
Unrated and other modes are still under review to determine the best approach for those game types
Riot will continue monitoring these changes to ensure afk penalty system effectiveness. Future updates may address voice and text communication, aiming to reduce toxicity in chat while maintaining fair penalties across all modes
For more Valorant news, guides, and updates check out Pley.gg
For more information on AFK penalties and player behavior in Valorant, see the Official Valorant Twitter and Riot Games Support
FAQ: Valorant new afk penalty system
I received two penalties at the same time. Is that a glitch?
No glitch. Valorant monitors infractions based on severity and frequency, so it’s possible to get multiple penalties simultaneously. For example, your rank can be reduced while also being denied XP.
Will I be punished if I’m learning new Agent and accidentally flash my allies?
Minor accidental damage to allies will usually result in a warning or light penalty, especially if you have no history of bad behavior. Purposefully targeting teammates will result in harsher penalties.
I have connection or hardware issues. Will I be penalized?
Occasional tech or connection problems won’t lead to severe penalties. If server issues cause disconnections, penalties will be forgiven. Consistent AFKs or queue dodges due to connection problems should be reported via a support ticket to prevent further penalties.
