Since 2014, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players have had only one complaint: cheaters. Rather than updating the FPS game’s anti-cheat software, VAC, or offering a single patch, Valve has implemented a series of annual ban waves. The paywall update in 2021 did little to help fix the problem; It turned out that CSGO hackers were pretty loaded: many of them could just buy their way back. Now, with the Counter-Strike 2 release date approaching, there is hope for a new, more robust anti-cheat solution. However, the CS2 trailers seem to have doused those hopes with cold water.
Aside from a leak here and a rumor there, nothing substantial has been revealed regarding a new Counter-Strike 2 anti-cheat. That said, chances are Counter-Strike 2 will have the same VAC as Before. too late to lower your expectations and stick to third-party platforms.
Counter-Strike 2 without new anti-cheat means nothing
Counter-Strike 2 is supposed to be a game changer, but as the limited beta test progresses, players are already reporting cheats. It looks like the decade-old CSGO glitch has returned in Valve’s shiny new shooter.
Every multiplayer game has malicious actors, but CSGO hacking and cheating seem particularly prevalent. In 2021, Valve banned 304,655 cheaters in three months, illustrating how the absence of an active, or rather proactive, watchdog can allow the problem to grow and spread. Valve isn’t actively weeding out pirates, which means they can wreak havoc until a new wave of bans arrives.
Apart from the ticking rate, poor VAC performance has been the main catalyst for pushing gamers towards third-party platforms like FACEIT. Now Counter-Strike 2 has come out with three major changes regarding maps, smoke grenades, and the dreaded tic rate, but when it comes to cheat protection, the only hope we have is a minor letter on the Bottom of Valve announcement.
“The limited test only tests a subset of Counter-Strike 2 features so that major issues can be resolved before the summer. But there’s a lot more to come. In a few months, we’ll reveal all the details. of Counter-Strike 2,” says Valve.
If Valve had plans for a major overhaul of its anti-cheat system, it probably would have been announced by now. It looks like Counter-Strike 2 uses the same, or at least very similar, form of VAC that we’ve seen in CSGO before. If so, it will be a real disappointment for fans waiting for games on Valve’s official servers.
Counter-Strike 2 offers better visuals, reactive smokes and even visible legs! But, without a new and improved anti-cheat, the shooter can become a true test of patience. While we want to take advantage of all the shiny new features, the truth is that nothing else matters if you can’t play fair. As always, serious gamers will look to FACEIT and ESEA for a competition healthy. As for matchmaking, well, it could become fertile ground for trolls creating funny content on YouTube.
Will Counter-Strike 2 have new anti-cheat features?
So far, data miners have been able to find clues in CS2’s limited test spaghetti code that suggests tweaks to VAC, but nothing quite like a fix. A new feature called VAC Live can work to detect third-party software in real time, instantly voiding matches if a cheater is detected, similar to Riot’s Vanguard system in Valorant. It sounds like something, but the problem with VAC Live is that it’s always, basically, HOLIDAYS. If Live detects cheaters using the same methods as usual, don’t expect many CS2 game rollbacks – the hackers will get away with it anyway.
However, if Valve makes VAC Live more invasive, with better access to players’ CS2 information, there’s a shred of hope for the MM beasts. While invasive anti-cheating raises privacy concerns, I would personally sacrifice a little more player data if it meant ridding my game of cheaters. Most serious CSGO players gravitate towards FACEIT anyway – a similar program for official matchmaking would be welcomed with open arms.
While Valve is unlikely to announce any more major changes, it never hurts to stay optimistic and keep your fingers crossed for an anti-cheat update. In the meantime, get ready with all Counter-Strike 2 maps confirmed so far, some of which are completely rebuilt with Source 2.