Almost 300,000 accounts recently learned the hard way that Riot Games does not tolerate shortcuts when it comes to ranking. On September 17, 2026, Riot took action by suspending 296,416 accounts in both League of Legends and VALORANT for engaging in rank manipulation. This wave of suspensions even affected some well-known individuals.
Riot made it clear that boosting, smurfing, and hitchhiking are considered cheating without exceptions. The company revealed that Vanguard’s boosting detection had extended from League of Legends to VALORANT earlier in the year, leading to a steady stream of bans.
The Impact on Prominent Figures
The repercussions were immediate and personal. Streamer Trainwreckstv informed his followers that his League account was banned after playing Ranked Flex with other content creators and professionals like Trick2g, Tyler1, and Yassuo. His rank was reset, requiring him to start from scratch, and he maintained that his only fault was having famous friends.
Trick2g took a more confrontational approach, posting a video appeal directly to Drew Levin, Riot’s Head of Business and Director of Product Management. He argued that the automated review misinterpreted a routine account switch, clarifying that his group switched accounts when a lower-ranked friend couldn’t join them, and then returned to their main accounts once the ranks aligned. This incident mirrors the one where a VALORANT pro was banned from Envy, underscoring that Riot’s measures for maintaining competitive integrity affect well-known individuals.
A notable aspect of Trick2g’s defense was his association with Alicopter, a Challenger-ranked player over multiple seasons who ended up in Gold after Flex Queue placements. Levin was quick to highlight this detail.
Riot’s Stance and Response
Riot’s initial announcement left no room for confusion: “PSA: Boosting, smurfing, hitchhiking… it’s all cheating. Vanguard’s boosting detection expanded from @LeagueOfLegends to @VALORANT earlier this summer and bans have been rolling out ever since. 296,416 rent-a-rank customers served and counting.” Levin’s initial response to Trick2g was straightforward, indicating that his explanation essentially constituted boosting. However, he later retracted this statement, apologizing for his hasty and dismissive reply while reiterating Riot’s stance on smurfing and boosting. He acknowledged that the company had not been clear enough about the boundaries when playing with friends.
The real issue lies in this ambiguity. This extensive ban wave demonstrates Riot’s commitment to enforcing its rules across its flagship titles. Nevertheless, the dispute involving Trick2g highlights the blurred line between playing with a group of friends and engaging in boosting. This tension mirrors the broader scrutiny of competitive integrity in esports, where the definition of cheating continues to evolve faster than the community’s grasp of it. It serves as a reminder that misconduct related to League can lead to swift disciplinary actions once Riot establishes its boundaries.