Riot has banned nearly 300,000 accounts for boosting in League and VALORANT

Riot Games has just announced one of its largest waves of bans. Nearly 300,000 VALORANT and League accounts have been banned for leveling up over the past two months. Here’s everything you need to know.

Increased Penalties in League and VALORANT

Boosting remains a persistent problem in both VALORANT and League of Legends. This practice undermines the ranked experience for other players by placing less-skilled accounts in matches that far exceed their actual ability. Despite years of enforcement and bans on boosting websites, the problem remained a serious issue throughout 2026.

In July, Riot Games took a step forward with penalties for boosting in VALORANT. The studio significantly increased the penalties for players caught boosting and also implemented a new detection algorithm to catch them in the act.

The new penalties for rank boosting in VALORANT will punish players who falsely represent their ranks. Image: Riot Games via website

Previously, rank boosting was one of VALORANT’s biggest competitive issues… as well as one of its biggest industries. Players regularly paid on specialized websites to boost their ranks, and boosters raked in a ton of money while genuine players battled smurfs.

Will I get banned for rank boosting in League or VALORANT?

The ranking algorithm Riot used on VALORANT servers was reportedly similar to the one used for League of Legends. The team clarified:

“This isn’t about preventing people from playing with their friends. We’re targeting a pattern of abuse that undermines the integrity of the competition. If you’re playing the game normally and competing to win, queuing with friends is perfectly fine.”

“If you’re playing on your own, non-shared account, and you haven’t intentionally lowered your rank to get into easier lobbies, and you aren’t manipulating or tampering with ranks for your own benefit or that of others, you’re good to go.”

Riot’s decision to increase penalties has also clarified what constitutes a violation. You will be penalized regardless of whether you’re leveling up, receiving a rank boost, or simply queuing.

Riot has just banned nearly 300,000 accounts for boosting

Two months later, it appears that Riot’s efforts to ban boosters are paying off. On September 18, the official Riot Games account announced that the studio had banned nearly 300,000 accounts for violating the new booster rules since they took effect.

These include boosters (those who boost accounts’ ranks), booster recipients (those who primarily receive the boost), and free-riders (players who do not receive the boost, but still remain in the queue with the booster’s rank and benefit from it).

The algorithm operates within Vanguard, Riot’s built-in anti-cheat system. Riot keeps the exact details of how it works under wraps, but we know the basics thanks to an explanatory video. The anti-boosting program monitors rapid changes in performance. Its goal is “to detect when a high-ranked player takes over a low-ranked account.”

“Vanguard knows when a Silver player suddenly starts playing like a Radiant or Challenger player,” the team continues.

This is one of the largest waves of bans in Riot Games’ history. It sets a clear precedent for the studio’s ranking moderation. Furthermore, it will significantly impact the external competitive ecosystem. While many players boost their friends’ ranks for fun or to troll, there is enough demand from others to make a living from it. Boosting rings have even been implicated in previous allegations regarding VALORANT Tier 2 competitive integrity, with pros claiming that some VCL organizations funded themselves through boosting.

What are the penalties for boosting and auto-playing in VALORANT?

If players are caught boosting or smurfing in VALORANT, the penalties can be quite severe. As in League of Legends, they may face temporary suspensions from the game and bans. However, VALORANT has some additional penalties. Riot states: “If you’re caught boosting or smurfing, we’ll remove the rank you earned and ban your account