Riot Games is introducing Riot Mobile Verification in the next major update, Valorant patch 11.09, as part of a wider effort to fight smurfing, account sharing, and boosting in Competitive play. The system will use multi-factor authentication (MFA) via the Riot Mobile app, and will initially apply to players ranked Ascendant and higher.
What is Riot Mobile verification?
Riot Mobile verification is a new multi-factor authentication (MFA) system designed to ensure that every account in Valorant’s ranked mode is being played by its rightful owner. Players detected for account sharing or boosting will be required to link their account to Riot Mobile to continue accessing Competitive queues.
Once enabled, MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary confirmation (via your mobile device) whenever you log in, preventing unauthorized users from playing on your account.
When is it coming?
According to Riot’s announcement and reports from ValorLeaks on X the feature will roll out in patch 11.09, expected in mid-November 2025.
Initially, the verification requirement will target:
- Accounts flagged for sharing or boosting
- Players ranked Ascendant or higher
Other modes such as Unrated, Swiftplay, or Deathmatch will not be affected.
Riot also confirmed that the requirement will gradually expand to additional regions and ranks in future updates, including lower-ranked players if necessary.
Rewards for activating early
To encourage adoption, Riot is offering an exclusive reward to players who enable MFA early – the “Keep it Safer” gun buddy, a small golden lock charm symbolizing verified account security.
Players can already set up Riot Mobile MFA manually by linking their Riot account through the app and enabling verification under account settings.
Why is Riot doing this?
Smurfing – where high-ranked players use low-ranked alternate accounts – continues to be one of Valorant’s biggest issues in ranked matchmaking. Account sharing and paid boosting have also become widespread, impacting match integrity and player experience.
By requiring MFA, Riot hopes to:
- Reduce smurfing and boosting by making account sharing harder
- Improve ranked integrity for high-level players
- Strengthen account security and prevent unauthorized logins
Riot previously noted that 80–90% of compromised or sold accounts lacked MFA, making them easy targets for misuse.
What players need to do
If you’re ranked Ascendant or higher, you’ll soon need to:
- Download Riot Mobile (available on iOS and Android).
- Link it to your Riot account using your login credentials.
- Activate MFA under your account settings.
- Verify when prompted to play Competitive.
Players can also activate MFA early to avoid any issues when patch 11.09 drops.
Summary
- Riot Mobile verification goes live with patch 11.09
- Required for Ascendant+ players and shared accounts
- Exclusive gun buddy reward for early activation
- Aimed at fighting smurfing, boosting, and account theft
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