Buying used CPUs can expose users to existing bans from anti-cheat engines, and there's no way to check for violations before purchase
The CPU's previous owner apparently used it for cheating on Valorant, with its HWID getting flagged by Vanguard. When the Redditor bought and installed it on their PC, their Valorant account received a ban, too.
A German gamer recently discovered the potential risks of purchasing used CPUs when they were banned from playing Valorant due to their processor's hardware ID (HWID) being blacklisted. u/After-Cartoonist-196 shared their experience on the r/PCBauder subreddit, explaining that the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D they bought on September 21, 2026, was flagged by Riot Games' Vanguard anti-cheat system on August 12, 2026, due to its previous owner's alleged cheating on Valorant.
Riot Games' support informed them that the ban would last for four months, but they could not reverse it, as the ban was tied to the CPU's HWID. This incident has attracted attention on social media, and Riot Games' anti-cheat specialist, Phillip Koskinas, stated that hardware bans typically last for a maximum of four months and are game-specific.
Bans are only applied to one component, not the entire gaming PC. While this story may seem unique, it is not uncommon for other titles and developers to employ HWID bans, leading to similar issues for players who purchase used hardware. Other anti-cheat engines, such as Easy Anti-Cheat and BattleEye, also enforce bans on users with affected hardware across multiple games, while Ricochet, used by Call of Duty, is even stricter by contacting Microsoft's servers to confirm system integrity.
Anti-cheat systems have gained criticism for being intrusive and resource-intensive, but many gamers believe they are essential to maintain fair and enjoyable online gaming experiences.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
