Buying used CPUs can expose you to existing bans from anti-cheat engines
A German gamer received a Valorant ban after purchasing a used AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor that was blacklisted by the Vanguard anti-cheat system. Riot Games confirmed that hardware-based bans are game-specific and last a maximum of four months, though other anti-cheat providers may enforce permanent restrictions. The incident highlights the risk for buyers of second-hand PC components, as there is no method to verify if a device has prior anti-cheat violations before purchase.
- ▪A user in Germany was banned from Valorant after buying a used CPU that had been flagged for cheating by its previous owner.
- ▪Riot Games stated that Vanguard hardware bans are limited to four months and apply only to the specific game, not the entire system.
- ▪Other anti-cheat systems like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattleEye enforce permanent or cross-game bans on flagged hardware.
- ▪Buyers of used processors and graphics cards have no way to check for existing anti-cheat blacklists before completing a transaction.
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| Publication time | Sat, 03 Oct 2026 14:09:00 +0000 |
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Video Games PC Gaming Buying used CPUs can expose users to existing bans from anti-cheat engines, and there's no way to check for violations before purchase — some anti-cheat engines enforce permanent bans, while others have an expiration date News By Jowi Morales Published 3 October 2026 Who knew that saving money could potentially come with a hardware ban? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A gamer from Germany bought a used AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and got slapped with a Valorant ban.
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