Gabri
You get unbanned from Valorant in one of two ways: the ban's timer runs out, or Riot's Player Support lifts it once a review shows Riot made a mistake. Which route you have depends on the ban. Riot's VALORANT penalty FAQ, updated on June 2, 2026, puts game bans anywhere from 7 days to permanent, and Riot's error code list says a VAN 152 hardware ban "typically lasts 4 months."
The ban with the least room is a permanent suspension for cheating, whose screen says "This action will not be reversed." Even that one gets a second look when the detection itself was wrong. This guide covers how to tell which ban you have, how long each one lasts, both ways back, the VAN 152 hardware ban, and the fixes that never work.
Can You Get Unbanned From Valorant?
Yes, in most cases. A Valorant penalty either has an end date or can be reviewed, and Riot commits to fixing its own mistakes. Section 2.1 of Riot's Terms of Service tells players who think Riot got it wrong to contact Player Support, and Riot's Community Pact says that "if we got it wrong, we'll make it right."
The exception is a confirmed cheating ban. Riot's permanent suspension screen for "prohibited third-party software" closes with "This action will not be reversed," and no ticket changes that when the software was real. What a review can fix is a detection that got it wrong.
First, Find Out Which Ban You Have
Your screen or error code at login tells you which ban you're dealing with. Riot's Bans and Reports page also lists your account's active and past penalties once you sign in.
| What you see | What it means | How it ends |
|---|---|---|
| A ban screen with a date and time | A VALORANT game ban or teamplay restriction | On its own, at that time |
| VAL 7, a "session service" error | Possibly a suspension, or a platform problem | Check your email from Riot |
| VAL 61 | Your account is banned from Valorant | At the end date, or after a review |
| VAN 152 | A hardware (HWID) ban on your PC | Typically after 4 months, or after a re-evaluation |
| Any VAN: RESTRICTION error | A Vanguard security check, not a ban | Once you fix what it names |
| An At-Risk Alert above your Riot ID | A warning, with no penalty yet | Once the account is back in good standing |
| A "Permanent Suspension" screen | A permanent account ban | Only if a review finds an error |
VAN: RESTRICTION errors are filed under penalties on Riot's support site, but they aren't bans. Each one means Vanguard couldn't verify part of your Windows setup: Secure Boot for 1 and 4, the drive the game is installed on for 3, and Memory Integrity for 5. Riot's VAN: RESTRICTION guide links the fix for each one.
One caution before you act on any code: Riot marks its error list as out of date, and a bug has the game displaying incorrect error codes right now, so a VAL 5 error on your Valorant screen may hide a different problem. If the code doesn't fit what happened, ask Player Support before you treat it as a ban. When there is no code and no timer, only matches that feel rigged, players tend to call it a Valorant shadow ban, a penalty that isn't on Riot's lists.
How Long Do Valorant Bans Last?
Valorant bans last from 7 days to permanent, and teamplay restrictions from 3 to 365 days. The length depends on the penalty and on your history. By type:
- Teamplay restriction: 3 to 365 days. Until it ends, only solo deathmatch and custom games stay open.
- VALORANT game ban: 7 days to permanent, running until the date and time on your screen. Riot's FAQ gives the example of a player who got a 28-day ban without ever receiving a 7-day one.
- Hardware ban (VAN 152): four months in the usual case, per Riot's error code list. A review can shorten it or extend it.
- Permanent account suspension: no end date. The Community Pact says a serious enough offense can bring one "on the first offense."
Your record decides more than any single match. Riot's FAQ says penalties reflect "the sum of your history as an Agent," which is why two players who went AFK in the same game can walk away with different penalties.
Way 1: Wait Out a Timed Ban
A timed Valorant ban ends by itself. Game bans and teamplay restrictions lift at the date and time shown, and there's no form to fill in. Three habits make the wait count:
- Stay off alternate accounts. Riot's Community Pact rules out using an alt to evade a penalty, and a restriction on your main can be copied to the account you switch to.
- Fix your connection before you queue again. Riot's FAQ suggests sitting out while your connection is unstable, and Riot forgives AFK penalties caused by a server problem on its side.
- Watch for At-Risk Alerts. Riot's At-Risk Alerts appear above your Riot ID when an account is close to a new penalty, and they clear once it's back in good standing.
Way 2: Ask Riot to Review the Ban
A Player Support review is the only way to get a Valorant ban lifted early, and it works when the ban was a mistake. Riot's Terms promise a review if you think Riot made an error, with one catch: the account can stay suspended while the review runs.
Say exactly what went wrong. If someone got into your account without your permission, report that as well, since section 1.5 of Riot's Terms asks you to tell Riot "immediately" about unauthorized access. A Valorant false ban case starts with checking whether the ban fits the facts. From there, a Valorant ban appeal ticket can follow a template you copy and fill in with your own details.
A review won't lift a ban Riot got right. It checks whether the penalty was valid, so an apology or a promise to do better doesn't move it.
Getting Unbanned From a VAN 152 Hardware Ban
A VAN 152 hardware ban blocks the PC, not just one account, so the way back is different. Riot's HWID ban article, updated May 31, 2026, says a hardware ban for bad in-game behavior or suspected cheating can be lifted, though that's "never guaranteed." Riot's process:
- Open a Player Support ticket that asks Riot to re-evaluate the hardware ban.
- Give every affected account its own ticket, so each one is reviewed on its own.
- Riot checks whether the penalty is valid, then either lifts the ban or extends it.
A lift only goes so far. Riot no longer bans your accounts the moment they log in, but any account it banned while the Valorant HWID ban was active stays banned until the period ends. Riot rules out lifting a ban that followed a threat of harm it could verify.
The other route is to change the hardware identifiers the PC reports, which is the job Saturn does as an HWID spoofer for Valorant on a banned PC. HWID spoofers come in two kinds, temp and perm, and each one leaves something different behind. Spoofing leaves the ban in place: Riot keeps its record, your banned accounts stay banned, and Riot's Terms (section 7.1) forbid getting around the measures Riot uses to control access. Ask for the review first.
What Won't Get You Unbanned
These are the fixes players reach for first. None of them lifts a Riot ban:
- A fresh account on the banned PC. Under a hardware ban, Riot restricts the new account on that machine and hands it a timed ban of its own, because it reads the login as ban evasion.
- Reinstalling Valorant or deleting the banned account. Riot says neither one removes a hardware ban.
- A VPN or a new IP address. Riot's penalties land on accounts and PCs, not on IP addresses, and no Valorant IP ban appears among them.
- An unban service. Riot's Terms send ban reviews to Player Support, and section 1.5 says you can't share your account or login with anyone. A service that asks for your Riot login is asking you to break that rule.
- Buying an account. The Community Pact says buying, selling or transferring accounts violates Riot's Terms of Service. Riot's bot ban waves have locked hundreds of thousands of bot-leveled accounts too.
How to Stay Unbanned Once You're Back
Once a ban ends, your history carries forward. For AFK and queue-dodging penalties, Riot's FAQ saves game bans for players who ignored earlier warnings, and the Community Pact says there's no "three strikes" rule for serious offenses. A few habits keep you clear:
- Stay in your matches, and skip queueing when your connection is shaky.
- Keep your login to yourself: no boosting and no account sharing.
- Don't run third-party tools that interact with the game, and a Valorant skin changer counts too, even if only your PC shows the skins.
- Treat an At-Risk Alert as a sign that the next penalty is close.
Valorant Unban FAQ
How do I get myself unbanned?
Wait for a timed ban to end, or open a Player Support ticket if the ban was a mistake. Game bans and teamplay restrictions lift at the time shown on your screen. For a ban you think is wrong, Riot reviews the case and lifts the penalty if it made an error.
Can you get a permanent ban in Valorant?
Yes. A VALORANT game ban can be permanent, and Riot's Community Pact says a serious enough offense can bring a permanent suspension the first time. Permanent bans for third-party software come with a screen saying the action will not be reversed.
When does a VAN 152 ban end?
A VAN 152 hardware ban typically lasts 4 months, according to Riot's VALORANT error code list. A review can end it sooner or extend it, and accounts banned while it's active stay banned until it expires.
Do Valorant unban services work?
No. Only Riot can lift a Riot penalty, and it does that through Player Support. Any service that asks for your Riot login is asking you to break section 1.5 of Riot's Terms of Service, which bars sharing your account or login credentials with anyone.
Can I play Valorant on another account while I'm banned?
Not without risk. Riot's Community Pact says using an alt to evade a penalty isn't allowed, and the penalty can follow you to the alt. On a PC with a hardware ban, any account you sign in with gets restricted on that machine and banned for a set period.
Does a Valorant ban affect League of Legends?
Usually not. A VALORANT game ban only stops you playing Valorant, and Riot anti-cheat lead Phillip Koskinas said on October 2, 2026 that hardware bans apply only to the game the cheats were detected in. Riot's HWID article frames a hardware ban more widely, as keeping the banned player off any account on any Riot game, and the Community Pact says serious or repeated offenses can bring penalties across all of Riot's games.