Riot Games has announced a forthcoming change aimed at tackling smurfing in Valorant, a persistent problem in competitive gaming, especially within free-to-play titles. Although this feature isn't live yet, Riot has confirmed that players will soon be required to verify their identity before queuing for ranked matches, effectively curbing the creation of secondary accounts.

Smurfing—where experienced players create new accounts to dominate lower-ranked matches—undermines fair play and can frustrate newcomers. This issue is particularly pronounced in Valorant, where gun skill and individual performance heavily influence game outcomes. New players often encounter seasoned smurfs early in ranked, leading to discouragement or even abandonment of the game altogether.

To address this, Riot plans to implement an account authentication process, which may involve SMS verification or a dedicated app that ensures each account is linked to a unique identity. Initially, this measure will target accounts exhibiting suspicious activity, such as logging in from unfamiliar IP addresses, to prevent account sharing and the circumvention of rank restrictions.

This approach mirrors systems already in place in countries like South Korea and China, where registering accounts requires providing government-issued identification or social security numbers. Such measures have made smurfing more difficult in those regions, and while Riot is unlikely to impose such strict identification requirements globally, the move signifies a serious effort to reduce smurfing.

Despite potential resistance from parts of the Valorant community, given the added steps required for verification, this initiative promises long-term benefits by fostering a fairer competitive environment. Alongside this change, Riot is preparing a suite of quality-of-life updates to celebrate Valorant's fifth anniversary, including stricter punishments for misconduct and a transition to Unreal Engine 5 to enhance the game's visual and performance capabilities.

What is Valorant and Valorant Points?

Valorant points are the main premium currency in the popular tactical shooter Valorant, allowing players to unlock exclusive cosmetic items like weapon skins, character outfits, and the Battle Pass to enhance their gameplay experience. To get Valorant points, players need to purchase them using real money rather than earning them through in-game achievements or matches. For those looking to Valorant points buy , trusted game trading platforms such as LootBar offer a convenient and often cost-effective way to top up your account. This makes it easy for players to quickly access the latest in-game content and customize their agents.

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How to top Valorant on LootBar Step-by-Step Guide

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