Riot Games has officially announced that it will begin banning smurfing and boosted accounts in Valorant, starting with patch 11.09. This marks one of the developer’s most aggressive anti-smurfing measures yet, targeting purchased accounts and players who manipulate matchmaking to gain an unfair advantage.
According to Riot, this update is part of their ongoing effort to improve the competitive integrity of ranked play.
“Separately, we’ve started penalizing some of the most egregious offenders of smurfing—purchased accounts that have been detected for boosting will be banned starting this patch.”
What this means for players
Starting in patch 11.09, accounts identified as purchased, shared, or used for boosting other players will be subject to permanent bans. These bans will not only apply to the smurfed accounts themselves but could also lead to disciplinary actions against players benefiting from the boosted accounts.
Riot is also reinforcing their detection systems to automatically flag:
- Accounts that rapidly climb ranks unnaturally.
- Accounts exhibiting suspicious win rates or match behavior patterns.
- IP and hardware-linked accounts showing patterns consistent with boosting or account selling.
This system builds upon previous measures introduced in patch 11.08, where Riot implemented Riot Mobile Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as a requirement for ranked play among Ascendant+ players and shared accounts.
Why Riot is cracking down
Smurfing has been one of Valorant’s biggest ongoing issues since launch. High-ranked players often use alternate or purchased accounts to compete in lower-ranked matches, disrupting fair matchmaking and negatively affecting newer players’ experiences.
Riot’s updated anti-smurfing policy aims to:
- Reduce unfair matchmaking caused by high-skill players in lower ranks.
- Deter account purchasing and boosting services.
- Reward legitimate progression for players climbing ranks fairly.
By combining account bans with ranked verification through Riot Mobile MFA, Riot hopes to significantly reduce smurfing and maintain balance in Competitive mode.
What players can expect in patch 11.09
Alongside the smurfing crackdown, patch 11.09 introduces:
- Riot Mobile verification enforcement for Ascendant+ players.
- New ranked integrity systems designed to identify suspicious match histories faster.
- Ongoing efforts to reward legitimate players who play fairly and consistently.
Players who follow the rules and verify their accounts will not be affected by these bans. Riot also reassured the community that legitimate alternate accounts used by the same person (without boosting or account sharing) will not be punished.
Summary
- Starting patch 11.09, Riot will begin banning smurf and boosted accounts.
- Purchased and account-shared profiles will be targeted first.
- Riot’s systems will flag unnatural rank climbs, match behavior, and boosting patterns.
- These actions are part of Riot’s long-term goal to maintain fairness and integrity in Valorant’s ranked ecosystem.
Source: Valorant Updates
