Using cheats is forbidden in any game, and Valorant is no exception. Riot Games, through its anti-cheat software Vanguard, detects and punishes violators, and the community strongly condemns such behavior. However, some players have the audacity to use third-party software even on the professional stage, where Riot's control is much stricter. Today, we’ve compiled a list of professional players who were caught using cheats in Valorant.

Phox and w3ak

Our list begins with a very old story that has almost disappeared from the internet. During the early days of Valorant's esports scene in 2020, a relatively unknown American organization called A.S.M.R. featured a roster that included a few players, with two standing out: Phox and w3ak. The team performed well, winning first place at Valorant Sunday Showdown Week 12 and securing prizes at several other events. However, just as their careers began to take off, they were unexpectedly accused of cheating, and the allegations were soon proven true. Today, little information remains about how they were caught, but both players eventually announced they were taking a break from Valorant. This was confirmed when Riot’s lead anti-cheat analyst at the time, Matt Paoletti, commented on one of the players' statements, saying, "Hope you come back, but this time without cheats," directly confirming the cheating. Neither player has since returned to professional Valorant.

Rapaztriste

The next story occurred in 2021, involving a player from the well-known Spanish organization Movistar Riders. While participating in the Valorant Rising Series, one of the team's players, Rui "rapaztriste" Fonseca, was caught using cheats. The day after, Movistar Riders immediately removed him from the team and issued an apology to their fans and the event organizers.

Movistar Riders released a statement: “Rui ‘rapaztriste’ Fonseca is no longer part of our Valorant team. During an investigation, it was revealed that he used unauthorized resources in the game to gain a competitive advantage (commonly known as ‘cheating’). In response, he is no longer part of Movistar Riders.”

While there isn’t a specific example of how he cheated in the tournament, a compilation of rapaztriste’s matches is available online, showing moments that strongly resemble cheating behavior.

Nomsenpai

Another cheater was caught at an official Riot event during the open qualifiers for VCT 2022 Stage 1: Vietnam. The player Tất Cẩm "Nomsenpai" Khôn, who played for the little-known team Ice Cee Jay Too, was found cheating during the event. This is the most obvious case in our list, and you can see why by watching the video.

At 1:31 in the clip, the player enters a box on the Haven map. First, he starts shooting at an enemy behind the smoke, then suddenly locks onto an agent who was behind a wall. It’s unclear whether this was auto-aim or a wallhack allowing him to see through walls, but the use of cheats is undeniable.

READ MORE: Understanding the different types of cheats and the consequences of using them in Valorant

Chinese Player 发发

Another little-known case occurred in 2023 during the Valorant China National Competition: Season 1. The team CHI66 won two matches 2-0 but was later disqualified when one of its players, known as 发发, was caught using cheats. The exact cheats used remain unclear, but the tournament organizers officially confirmed the use of unauthorized software.

Malibu

Closing our list is an incident from the female scene in Game Changers. In late 2023, the qualifiers for the VCT 2023: Game Changers North America Series 3 took place. Among the eight North American teams, special attention was drawn to a lesser-known team called noot noot. One of its players, known as malibu, was suspected of cheating after a spectacular ace in a match against Shopify Rebellion. You can read more about this in our article.

Later, it was confirmed that malibu was indeed using cheats, resulting in her team’s disqualification, and malibu received a lifetime ban from Riot tournaments. However, the most intriguing part of this story is that no one actually knows who malibu is. All the photos on her social media were created using artificial intelligence, and she likely used voice-changing software for communication. No one from noot noot has ever seen her in person. Because of this, it’s possible that malibu may not even be a girl, and the ban may have been pointless, as the violator could easily create a new profile and participate in future qualifiers.

After reading our article, you've learned about professional and semi-professional players who tarnished their reputations by cheating in Valorant. We want to emphasize that Bo3 condemns and does not support the use of cheats or unauthorized software. Valorant should bring positive emotions to all players, and cheating only hinders this.