Riot Games banned nearly 300,000 smurf accounts in League of Legends and Valorant in 2026

Riot Games banned nearly 300,000 accounts in League of Legends and Valorant for smurfing, boosting, and rating manipulation—the company announced this on its website.

According to Riot Games, Vanguard’s Anti-Boost system, which was first launched in closed beta on League of Legends in September 2025, underwent several changes in 2026. Over the past year alone, more than 296,000 accounts were banned.

In addition, Riot Games noted that accounts created and leveled up manually will not be banned—users can hone their skills on a separate profile as long as they do not share it with other players.

Photo: Riot Games.