Riot Games disabled the agent Neon in Valorant on PC following the discovery of a graphical exploit. The developer announced the removal on May 7, 2026, citing concerns over competitive integrity. The exploit allows players to see through walls, effectively providing an unfair advantage in matches.
Developer removes agent due to competitive integrity concerns over wallhack exploit
The issue stems from a manipulation of NVIDIA graphics settings that lowers the Level of Detail bias beyond the game's intended limits. Players used this technique with Neon's Fast Lane ability, which creates a missile that stops upon hitting terrain. The resulting walls block vision for all players but fail to render visually for the Neon user when the exploit is active.
Neon remains unavailable on PC and in online esports tournaments until Patch 12.09. The previous patch, 12.08, launched on April 28, 2026. Riot Games expects Neon to return to the game on May 12, 2026, if the timeline holds. The agent is still playable in LAN events where in-person administration can monitor for violations. Riot described Neon as over-tuned in its official statement regarding the change.
The exploit gained traction after a user highlighted the NVIDIA setting workaround on social media. Riot Games confirmed the issue affects the fairness of competitive play. The developer has not yet detailed the specific balance adjustments planned for Neon's return.
