HWID Spoofing Guides
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot Anti-Cheat (2026)
TPM anti cheat and Secure Boot checks now gate Black Ops 7, Battlefield 6 and Fortnite tournaments. Here is what they measure and what they cannot rewrite
James Varga11 min read
Free Valorant HWID Spoofer - Fix Hardware Bans
Valorant's Vanguard driver reads the device from Windows boot. TraceX Spoofer permanently rewrites the HWID once for free, then you delete it.
Free diagnostic
Is It Really a Valorant HWID Ban?
Seeing "Error code: VAN 152" when the Riot Client returns you to login is Riot's published indicator of an HWID ban rather than an ordinary Competitive queue restriction.
Step 1 / 6
Can you still log into your game account?
Hardware Coverage
What Valorant Tracks — and What TraceX Rewrites
Valorant's anti-cheat silently reads dozens of hardware identifiers from your PC while it's running — long before you reach a match. Learn how Vanguard works in Valorant and why it's difficult to bypass without a spoofer. Below is a sample of the identifiers being tracked.
| Hardware Identifier | Valorant Tracks | TraceX Rewrites |
|---|---|---|
| CPU / Platform Identifier | Yes | Yes |
| SMBIOS Board / System UUID | Yes | Yes |
| GPU Device Identifier | Yes | Yes |
| Disk / Volume Serials | Yes | Yes |
| Physical NIC MAC Address | Yes | Yes |
| Windows MachineGuid | Yes | Yes |
Reality Check
Valorant Appeals Almost Never Work
And when they're denied — which is almost always for HWID bans — your hardware stays permanently blacklisted. No second chances.
“Cheating in game by using auto-clickers, aimbots, and other unauthorized hardware or software that gives players an unfair advantage in game will get that player's account permanently banned. Queuing with cheaters will get those players banned for 180 days.”
Riot Games — VALORANT Support, "Addressing Cheating in VALORANT"
Filing a support ticket or ban appeal
Creating a new Riot account on the same machine
Using a VPN or proxy
Reinstalling Valorant
Reinstalling Windows
Waiting — HWID bans do not expire
Run TraceX once to rewrite your hardware identifiers — Valorant's anti-cheat scans your machine and sees a completely new PC
Why You Need This
Do You Really Need an HWID Spoofer for Valorant?
You open the Riot Client for one more Competitive game on Bind, hit Play, and get thrown back to login with "Error code: VAN 152" before agent select. Unrated and Deathmatch never get a chance to load. A clean Valorant reinstall changes nothing, and the fresh Riot account you made for a quick test meets the same device restriction. That pattern is the giveaway: Riot is not rejecting a queue choice or only one account. Vanguard is recognizing the PC. The useful question is which hardware-rooted values survived your reinstall, and whether the penalty is account-only or a true HWID action.
VAN 152 survives a Valorant reinstall because the Riot Client package is not the identity Vanguard is actioning. Riot describes hardware bans as a separate enforcement layer, and its anti-cheat team says hardware actioning targets repeat offenders who return on the same machine. Older explainers add that vgk.sys always starts with Windows. That became incomplete on June 24, 2026: a secured Windows 11 25H2 PC can opt into Vanguard On-Demand, where the driver starts with the Riot title instead. PCs that do not pass or enable Vanguard Pre-Check can keep the original system-start model. Either path still presents a hardware-backed device identity when Valorant launches.
Riot does not publish a complete identifier weighting sheet, so any page claiming an exact recipe is guessing. The real collection surfaces behind a Windows hardware fingerprint include the SMBIOS Type 2 baseboard serial and Type 1 system UUID, physical disk serials exposed through storage IOCTLs, logical volume serials, physical NIC MAC addresses, and MachineGuid under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography. Hardware-rooted checks can also use the TPM 2.0 Endorsement Key and Secure Boot state. Riot now confirms the TPM Endorsement Key is factory-burned and can serve as non-fungible hardware identity. A Windows reinstall may regenerate MachineGuid and volume data, but it does not replace the baseboard serial, disk firmware serial, or TPM identity. That is why a wipe or one new SSD is not a complete answer.
Vanguard protects both Valorant and League of Legends, which creates a cross-game risk without making every Riot penalty identical. An account-only Valorant suspension is not proof that League is blocked. A true engine-level Vanguard hardware action is broader because both titles present the same PC to Riot's anti-cheat stack, so logging a valuable Riot account into the device is a poor diagnostic. Temporary session spoofers only change reported values while their driver or process is active, then expose the old profile after a reboot. TraceX Spoofer takes the permanent route for supported identifiers: complete the one-time setup, run the rewrite once, then delete the tool. TraceX leaves no session process or daemon to restart before Competitive.
Verified
On June 24, 2026, Riot Games introduced optional Vanguard On-Demand. Windows 11 25H2 systems that pass Vanguard Pre-Check can run the driver only while a Riot title is open instead of starting it with Windows. Riot's same technical post explains that the TPM 2.0 Endorsement Key is factory-burned and can serve as non-fungible hardware identity. (Source: Riot Games, "Incoming: Vanguard On-Demand," June 24, 2026.)
Why TraceX
Built for Valorant Players
You shouldn't need to replace your PC to play Valorant again. That's why TraceX exists.
Valorant One-Time Run
Run TraceX once before opening Valorant through Riot Client. The rewrite persists, so you can delete the tool before Vanguard starts.
Permanent Vanguard Identity
Valorant's hardware ban (hwid) — riot vanguard kernel driver (vgk.sys) is tied to the profile Vanguard reads. Rewritten identifiers persist across reboots without a TraceX daemon.
Vanguard Identifier Coverage
For Valorant, the documented Vanguard coverage includes CPU / Platform Identifier, SMBIOS Board / System UUID, GPU Device Identifier. TraceX rewrites the supported fields in one pass.
No Valorant Runtime Load
Valorant launches from Riot Client after the rewrite is complete. No TraceX process remains during Vanguard gameplay to consume resources.
Valorant Compatibility Notes
Valorant's hardware ban (hwid) — riot vanguard kernel driver (vgk.sys) details stay separate from the current Vanguard status, so a game update is never treated as unchanged by default.
Fresh Vanguard Hardware Profile
When you open Valorant with Riot account, Vanguard reads the supported identifiers produced by the completed permanent rewrite.
Setup Guide
How to Bypass a Valorant HWID Ban
Getting around a Valorant HWID ban used to take hours — reinstalling Windows, flashing BIOS, wiping drivers, re-downloading everything, and praying it worked. One wrong step meant starting over and burning another account. With TraceX, a single click does more than all of that combined.
01
Get TraceX for Valorant
Submit your email through the TraceX Spoofer homepage form to receive the Valorant setup instructions — free, no card required.
02
Rewrite Your Hardware
Run TraceX once before launching Valorant. Every hardware identifier Vanguard reads is rewritten in a single pass — then you can delete the tool.
03
Log In and Play
Open Valorant via the Riot Client with a new Riot account. Vanguard scans your hardware and sees a machine it has never seen before — no ban record.
04
Play Ban Free
You're back in Valorant. The rewrite is permanent — no daemon running, no expiry, nothing to renew.
Free download
Get the free Valorant HWID spoofer.
Submit your email and receive your free TraceX HWID Spoofer license in a few minutes. Run it once on your PC to permanently rewrite the identifiers Vanguard fingerprints, then delete the binary and reinstall Valorant.
Detection Analysis
How Valorant Scans Your Hardware
Vanguard can combine identifiers from your PC into a hardware profile for Valorant. TraceX rewrites the supported fields shown below before the game runs.
What Valorant Reads Without TraceX
CPU / Platform IdentifierBFEB...0684
ExposedSMBIOS Board / System UUIDPF0W...R3X9
ExposedGPU Device Identifier0x0000:0x0001D3A7
ExposedDisk / Volume SerialsS75B...6859N
ExposedPhysical NIC MAC Address4A:3B:8C...5E:01
ExposedWindows MachineGuidd83fa349-...-4f3a
ExposedWhen you launch Valorant, your real hardware IDs are scanned and matched against ban records. Every new account on a flagged PC is blocked.
What Valorant Reads With TraceX
CPU / Platform Identifier906E...A0C2
RewrittenSMBIOS Board / System UUID7KM2...JQ84
RewrittenGPU Device Identifier0x0000:0x00F4B810
RewrittenDisk / Volume SerialsWMC4...3J2L
RewrittenPhysical NIC MAC AddressD2:7E:19...1C:A4
RewrittenWindows MachineGuid71c0e28d-...-9b7f
RewrittenValorant sees a completely new machine with no ban history. New account, clean hardware — access granted.
Ban Reference
Valorant Ban Details
Anti-CheatVanguard
Account SystemRiot account
Ban TypeHardware Ban (HWID) — Riot Vanguard kernel driver (vgk.sys)
DurationIndefinite; Riot permits a re-evaluation request after at least one year, with no guarantee
Common Triggers
Vanguard-detected aimbot, wallhack / ESP, or triggerbot use in ValorantRepeated cheating across multiple Riot accounts on the same PCReturning on new Riot accounts after a prior Vanguard hardware actionDMA hardware cheats or vulnerable kernel drivers detected by VanguardUnluckyNo Reason At All
All Vanguard Games
Other Games Using Vanguard
All of these games use Vanguard — the same anti-cheat that banned you in Valorant. One permanent TraceX rewrite covers every one of them.
FAQ
Valorant HWID Ban — Frequently Asked Questions
Does VAN 152 mean my Valorant account or my whole PC is banned?
VAN 152 is the error Riot associates with a hardware-ID ban. An ordinary AFK, chat, or Competitive-queue restriction applies to account features; VAN 152 means the machine itself is part of the enforcement decision. Do not use another person's Riot account as a test. Riot's HWID policy warns that accounts used on a hardware-banned computer can also be restricted, while the original banned account remains banned.
How long does a Valorant HWID ban last in 2026?
Riot does not publish one universal 120-day or four-month timer for every Valorant hardware action. Its current HWID policy says the affected player must wait at least one year before asking Player Support to re-evaluate the hardware ban, and approval is not guaranteed. Treat VAN 152 as indefinite unless Riot confirms otherwise for your case. A hardware re-evaluation also does not restore the Riot account that received the original cheating ban.
Will reinstalling Windows or Valorant remove VAN 152?
A Valorant reinstall replaces game files, not the device identity. Reinstalling Windows can regenerate MachineGuid and a logical volume serial, but it does not replace the SMBIOS Type 2 baseboard serial, Type 1 system UUID, physical disk firmware serial, NIC hardware, or TPM 2.0 Endorsement Key. Vanguard correlates a hardware-backed profile rather than trusting one Windows value, so a format or one replacement SSD can leave the durable anchors unchanged.
I bought a used PC and got VAN 152. Did I inherit the previous owner's ban?
That is possible because persistent identifiers travel with the physical parts. A used motherboard can retain its SMBIOS baseboard serial, system UUID, and TPM identity; a used drive retains its firmware serial. Stop testing valuable Riot accounts on the machine and open a Player Support ticket describing the purchase. Include legitimate proof of ownership if requested. Only Riot can confirm whether the device is actioned or review an inherited-ban claim.
Does disabling TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot clear a Valorant HWID ban?
No. TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are security requirements, not switches that erase Riot's ban record. Disabling them can create a VAN:RESTRICTION or stop Valorant from launching on configurations where Vanguard requires them. Riot's June 2026 technical update also identifies the TPM Endorsement Key as durable hardware identity. A restriction asking for a secure configuration is different from VAN 152, which is Riot's hardware-ban code.
Does Vanguard still load when Windows starts in 2026?
Not on every supported PC. Riot introduced optional Vanguard On-Demand on June 24, 2026. A Windows 11 25H2 system that satisfies Vanguard Pre-Check can start the driver with a Riot game and stop it outside the session. Players who do nothing, or whose systems do not meet the requirements, can remain on the original system-start model. On-Demand changes when vgk runs; it does not make VAN 152 an account-only penalty or remove hardware identity checks.
Will a Valorant hardware ban also affect League of Legends?
Valorant and League both use Vanguard, so the same machine is visible to the same Riot anti-cheat stack. That creates cross-title risk for a true engine-level hardware action. It does not mean every Valorant account suspension automatically bans League; account penalties can be title-specific. If you have VAN 152, do not log a valuable League account into that PC just to test the boundary. Ask Riot which products the hardware action covers.
Can a VPN bypass a Valorant HWID ban?
No. A VPN changes the public IP address seen by Riot's servers; it does not rewrite the SMBIOS baseboard serial, system UUID, physical disk serials, MAC hardware, MachineGuid, TPM identity, or Secure Boot state. That makes a VPN relevant to an IP or routing problem, not VAN 152. If the Riot Client shows the hardware-ban code, changing networks cannot turn the same device into a different hardware profile.
What is the difference between a temporary Valorant spoofer and a permanent rewrite?
A temporary spoofer changes what selected checks report only while its driver or process is active, so the old profile can return after a reboot and the tool must run again. TraceX uses a permanent rewrite for supported identifiers. Complete the one-time setup, run it once, then delete the tool; no TraceX daemon remains during Valorant. This changes the supported device-side profile, but it does not reinstate the Riot account that received the original penalty.
Can I appeal a Valorant HWID ban or a false VAN 152?
Yes, through Riot Player Support, but a ticket is a review request rather than a guaranteed reversal. Give a concise timeline and mention a compromised account or recently purchased used hardware only when it is true. Do not keep cycling new accounts on the device, because Riot treats that pattern as circumvention. Riot's HWID policy allows the affected player to request re-evaluation after at least one year; previously banned accounts remain banned even if the hardware action is later lifted.
Learn More
Related Guides
HWID Spoofing Guides
HWID Ban Appeal: Does It Ever Work?
HWID ban appeal guide: what publishers actually say about reversing hardware bans, the three cases worth filing for, and how to write one that gets read
Chris Doyle12 min read
HWID Spoofing Guides
Reinstall Windows for a HWID Spoofer?
Do you need to reinstall Windows for a HWID spoofer? Here's exactly which hardware identifiers a clean install resets, and the ones it never touches
Chris Doyle10 min read
Next Steps
Not sure the Valorant ban is hardware-based?
Work out which ban you are actually dealing with before you change anything. The ban-type checker walks the symptoms, and how long a Vanguard ban lasts covers whether waiting it out is realistic for Valorant.
You can also browse every game TraceX supports or read up on the anti-cheat engines behind these bans.