Valorant is the hardest game to come back from after a hardware ban. Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat loads at boot, runs at kernel level, and Riot openly uses HWID bans. If you log in and see VAN 152, your PC is the thing that's banned, and no new Riot account will fix it on its own.
This guide covers how Valorant HWID bans work, why Vanguard is tougher than Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye, what a Valorant HWID spoofer has to handle, and the order to do things in so a fresh account doesn't get banned straight away.
How Valorant HWID Bans Work
Riot's own support pages spell it out:
- An HWID ban means Riot doesn't want that person to create, access or use any account on a Riot game for the duration of the ban.
- They're used for serious cases, including players flagged for third-party tools like scripting or cheating.
- Login attempts on banned hardware return the VAN 152 error.
- Riot actively looks for banned players' activity, and new accounts found on banned hardware are banned too.
- Reinstalling the game or deleting the account doesn't remove an HWID ban.
That last point is why "just make a new account" doesn't work in Valorant. For how hardware bans work across all games, see HWID bans explained.
Why Vanguard Is Harder Than Other Anti-Cheats
| Easy Anti-Cheat / BattlEye | Riot Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|
| When it starts | With the game | At system boot |
| Windows 11 requirements | None special | TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled |
| Hardware bans | Used, rarely documented | Officially documented (VAN 152) |
| Spoofing difficulty | High | Highest |
Because Vanguard is already running before Windows finishes loading, anything that changes your hardware identity has to be in place before Vanguard reads it. A spoofer built for EAC games and launched after boot won't cut it. Our anti-cheat comparison goes deeper on how Vanguard differs.
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot: The Valorant Catch
On Windows 11, Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be enabled. Without them, Valorant won't launch and shows errors like VAN 9001 or VAN 9003.
That matters for two reasons:
- Generic spoofer setups won't work. Many spoofer guides, including general EAC setups, tell you to turn Secure Boot off. On Windows 11, Valorant won't run that way. You need a Valorant-specific setup.
- The TPM is an identifier too. Every TPM carries its own unique keys, so it's part of the hardware picture on a TPM-required system. A Valorant spoofer has to account for it, not just disks and MAC addresses.
If you're on Windows 11, don't follow a standard spoofer guide that disables Secure Boot and expect Valorant to launch. Use the Valorant setup from your spoofer's support team.
What a Valorant HWID Spoofer Needs
- Vanguard support, specifically. EAC-only or BattlEye-only spoofers aren't enough.
- Kernel-level operation, active before Vanguard reads your hardware.
- Full coverage: SMBIOS, disk serials, MAC address and GPU identifiers, with the TPM accounted for.
- Trace cleaning for Riot and Vanguard files, registry entries and logs from your banned sessions.
- Fast updates. Vanguard changes often, and a stale spoofer is a ban waiting to happen.
- Real support to walk you through the TPM and Secure Boot setup for your board.
Step-by-Step: Coming Back From VAN 152
- Confirm it's an HWID ban. VAN 152 at login on every account is the giveaway.
- Don't log in to any clean account on that PC yet. Riot bans accounts found on banned hardware.
- Uninstall Valorant and Vanguard and remove leftover Riot files and folders.
- Set up your spoofer using its Valorant-specific instructions, including TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on Windows 11.
- Run the trace cleaner, then confirm your identifiers changed.
- Create a brand new Riot account and email that never touched the banned hardware.
- Reinstall Valorant and Vanguard and play. Never log back into the banned account.
New to spoofers? Our beginner's setup guide covers the basics, and the permanent vs temporary spoofer guide explains why a temporary kernel spoofer is the safer option.
TATEWARE HWID Spoofer: Vanguard Supported
Kernel-level spoofing for SMBIOS, disks, MAC and GPU with full trace cleaning, supporting Vanguard as well as EAC and BattlEye games. Our Discord support will walk you through the Valorant setup. From €5.99 for 3 days.
Get the SpooferFrequently Asked Questions
What does VAN 152 mean in Valorant?
It's the error Riot shows when you try to log in on hardware that has an HWID ban. Any account you use on that PC will hit it.
Does a new Riot account fix an HWID ban?
No. Riot says accounts found on banned hardware are banned too. The hardware identity has to change first.
Does Valorant need Secure Boot for a spoofer?
On Windows 11, Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled or Valorant won't launch, showing VAN 9001 or VAN 9003. That's why Valorant needs its own spoofer setup instead of a generic one.
Will reinstalling Windows remove a Valorant HWID ban?
No. Your hardware identifiers don't change with a reinstall, and Riot states that reinstalling the game won't remove an HWID ban either.
Bottom Line
Valorant HWID bans are the strictest in competitive gaming: documented by Riot, enforced from boot, and backed by TPM and Secure Boot requirements on Windows 11. Coming back means a spoofer that specifically supports Vanguard, a Valorant-specific setup, full trace cleaning, and a completely fresh account. Skip any step and VAN 152 comes right back.
Want help with the Valorant setup? Open a ticket in the TATEWARE Discord.