Valve initiates major ban wave for CS2, sparing no player including Premier’s top performer

Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 Faces a Ban Wave and Premier Player Caught in the Crossfire

After the holiday break, Valve has returned to tackle cheaters head-on in Counter-Strike 2. In an unexpected turn of events on January 3rd and 4th, the game was hit by a massive ban wave, with even one of the top Premier players falling victim to it. Aquaris and Gave Follower, renowned figures within the community, were quick to report this incident on X (formerly Twitter). The No.1 player on Premier’s leaderboard became ensnared in VAC’s net.

Cheating has been an ongoing issue since CS2 was released back in September. Despite grappling with various problems such as subpar tick rates, peculiar matchmaking quirks, and game-breaking bugs, rampant cheaters have undoubtedly been the bane of its existence.

While Valve is diligently working towards improving their anti-cheat system for CS2, achieving desired results hasn’t always been straightforward. Last December witnessed players reporting false VAC bans—penalties handed out mistakenly even when they had not engaged in any cheating activities. Consequently, players have grown increasingly cautious during these ban waves due to fear of becoming unsuspecting victims themselves.

The developers are also likely addressing technical difficulties that numerous players have encountered since launch. As we inch closer towards the first CS2 Major set to be hosted by Copenhagen in March—with qualifiers commencing later this month—it becomes paramount for all issues to be ironed out swiftly.