Riot Will Ban Valorant Players Who Use Stream Sniping Tools Eight Days Before Champions Opens in Shanghai
The studio said temporary suspensions would escalate to permanent bans for repeat offenders caught using sniping or instant lock software.
Riot Games has begun issuing bans to Valorant players who use stream sniping and instant lock software, under a patch released on 16 September 2026, eight days before the Valorant Champions world championship opens in Shanghai.
The 13.05 patch notes state that players found using the tools will be subject to temporary game bans that escalate to permanent bans with repeated use. Stream sniping involves watching an opponent's live broadcast during a match, while instant lock tools automate agent selection at the start of a game.
The same update brought back the Pick Ems prediction game for Champions. Entries for the group stage must be locked in before play begins on 24 September, and players earn points for correct predictions with a bonus for calling exact placings.
Riot also confirmed a change to the agent gear progression system in patch 13.06, due on 22 September. Future gear unlocks will be tied to how much an individual agent has been played, although players keep everything they have already earned and Kingdom Credits remain the currency used to buy new items.
The patch reduced how far spray sound effects travel so that only nearby players hear them, and fixed a series of agent bugs affecting Chamber's Headhunter, several Cypher abilities and the timing of smoke dissipation. Champions runs in Shanghai from 24 September to 18 October.