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How to Tell Whether a VALORANT Ban Is Tied to Your Account or Hardware

By Freedom251 Team · · 3 min read

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VAN 152 is Riot’s explicit sign that a restriction is tied to the device’s hardware ID (HWID), not just to one account. A VALORANT Game Ban is a separate penalty category. If you see another message—or cannot identify the exact code—Riot’s published guidance does not establish that it is account-only, so check the notice and ask Player Support.

What the ban message can tell you

Riot’s clearest device-level indicator is VAN 152. Riot Games Support’s Error VAN 152 page, dated July 16, 2026, says the error means the device has been restricted from playing because of an HWID ban. Riot describes an HWID ban as applying to the computer’s hardware rather than only to an account in its Understanding Hardware ID (HWID) Bans guidance, dated May 31, 2026.

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A Game Ban, by contrast, is a distinct VALORANT penalty category. Riot’s Penalties and Bans FAQ says a player cannot play until the date and time shown; for this category, Riot lists durations from 7 days to permanent. That duration range describes Game Bans, not HWID restrictions.

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What you see What Riot’s guidance establishes What to do
VAN 152 The device is restricted because of an HWID ban. Do not test another account on the device; request clarification or review from Riot Support if needed.
A VALORANT Game Ban notice with an end date and time A game penalty applies until the displayed end time. Riot lists the Game Ban category as lasting 7 days to permanent. Check the notice for the applicable end time and contact Support if you need case-specific clarification.
Another Vanguard, connection, or unclear error The reviewed Riot guidance does not establish that every other message means an account-only ban or an HWID ban. Record the exact code and wording, then ask Riot Support to explain the penalty’s scope.

Why you should not test with another account

An HWID restriction is associated with the device, so switching accounts is not a safe way to determine whether the original penalty is account-only. Riot warns against logging in with any account on a computer suspected of having an HWID ban: the additional account may be restricted on that device and receive a temporary ban because Riot’s system may treat the login as an attempt to circumvent the original restriction. The risk applies even if your purpose is only to check what happens.

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What to do if you see VAN 152

  1. Record the exact code and wording. Make sure the message is VAN 152 rather than a different Vanguard or connection error.
  2. Treat it as a device restriction. Riot says VAN 152 is not a Vanguard installation or connection problem. Reinstalling VALORANT or Vanguard, changing your connection, or restarting the PC will not remove this restriction.
  3. Do not sign in with a different account on that PC. Riot warns that doing so can expose the other account to a device restriction and temporary ban.
  4. Contact Riot Player Support from the affected account. Ask for clarification or, if you believe the HWID ban is mistaken, request a review. Riot says it will investigate, but a review does not guarantee the ban will be lifted; Riot may lift or extend it.

Avoid third-party “unban” utilities or hardware-change instructions. Riot’s cited guidance identifies Support review as the route for challenging a suspected mistaken HWID penalty; it does not endorse those other approaches.

If the message is not VAN 152

Do not infer the penalty’s scope from a generic Vanguard error, a connection problem, or the fact that you cannot launch the game. Riot describes Vanguard as a client that runs while its games are active alongside a kernel-mode driver in its What is Vanguard? article, dated June 2, 2026. That description explains Vanguard’s components; it does not make every Vanguard-related error evidence of a hardware ban.

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Read the full in-client notice or account communication and copy down its exact wording. If it is a Game Ban notice, use its displayed end date and time. If it says something else or does not explain whether the restriction applies to the account or device, submit a Player Support request through the account involved and ask for the scope. Riot’s published material does not provide a definitive mapping for every current error or notice.

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How to treat duration information for VAN 152

Riot’s separate VALORANT error-code list says an error 152 restriction is typically four months, but the page is marked out of date and warns that displayed errors can be incorrect. Treat that figure as non-guaranteed rather than a prediction for an individual case. Follow the current notice you receive and ask Riot Support about your specific restriction.

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