Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) has had a massive cheating problem since launch. The sheer amount of cheaters ruining the game is driving players wild. The problem seems to be getting worse despite Valve announcing a real-time anti-cheat system called VAC Live that can instantly flag cheaters and ban them.
Outrage Over Rampant Cheating
Counter-Strike is perhaps the most successful and iconic first person shooter games ever made available. So no wonder CS2 attracted so much player demand upon launch. But now many are sharing horror stories of matches being ruined by flagrant cheaters.
Popular CS streamer PimpCSGO called out Valve in a video, saying cheaters are making the game miserable for new and competitive players alike. One Reddit user echoed this sentiment, asking Valve to finally implement an effective anti-cheat system that games like VALORANT already have.
The Steam forums and Reddit are filled with countless posts from players venting their rage after encountering cheaters who use wallhacks to see through walls or aimbots to get instant headshots.
Types of Cheaters in CS2
There are mainly two types of cheaters plaguing CS2 right now. The first group cheats just for fun and to dominate opponents unfairly. The second type tries to boost their account to a high rank so they can sell it for real money later.
Some cheaters use “rage” cheats that make them unstoppable killing machines as soon as an enemy appears on their screen. Others may toggle wallhacks on and off to stay undetected.
How Valve is Addressing the Cheating Epidemic
So far, Valve has remained tight-lipped and hasn’t issued any official statement addressing the rampant cheating problem. Their only communication was a tweet clarifying that AMD’s Anti-Lag feature was getting some legitimate users inadvertently banned for appearing to modify game files.
AMD’s latest driver has made their “Anti-Lag/+” feature available for CS2, which is implemented by detouring engine dll functions.
If you are an AMD customer and play CS2, DO NOT ENABLE ANTI-LAG/+; any tampering with CS code will result in a VAC ban.
Once AMD ships an update we…
— CS2 (@CounterStrike) October 13, 2023
With Valve seemingly doing little to solve the crisis, players are boycotting CS2 in droves. Some professional players have even denounced the game until Valve gets its act together. The negative reviews on Steam are piling up, with many calling CS2 Valve’s worst game yet in terms of cheating issues.
Dealing with Cheaters in CS2
If you encounter a blatant cheater using rage hacks or aimbots, your chances of beating them are almost non-existent if you’re solo. The best approach is to coordinate with your team to focus fire and try to eliminate the cheater first.
Against a good wallhack user, you’ll need to constantly reposition, pre-fire angles, and use one-tap headshots to stand a chance. But don’t give up – keep trying strategies to outplay them.
To report a suspected cheater, open the scoreboard, right-click on their name, select “report”, choose the suspected cheat type, and submit the report to Valve for review.
Valve’s Anti-Cheat Strategy
Valve’s VAC anti-cheat may be working – but many feel it doesn’t go far enough to stop CS2’s cheating epidemic. And not only that, but some very high-level accounts with very expensive inventories have had VAC banned as well, proving that everyone cheats.
During the recent RMR qualifiers for the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, Valve’s new “Akros” anti-cheat reportedly caught over 30 players cheating with third-party software. However, Akros later deleted a tweet claiming “Cheating in CS2 is utterly and completely out of control” amid backlash.
Valve does seem to be taking steps like requiring phone number verification to create new accounts, implementing overwatch systems, and releasing patches. However, many players feel Valve needs to do much more to salvage CS2’s competitive integrity.
The Future of CS2 and Cheating
If the cheating issue continues to spiral out of control, CS2’s playerbase may keep dwindling as more gamers migrate to alternatives like VALORANT that have better anti-cheat systems.
Valve will likely need to be more transparent about their anti-cheat plans and show the community they’re truly committed to eliminating cheaters from CS2. Implementing an intensive kernel-level anti-cheat similar to VALORANT’s Vanguard could be the solution, even if initially unpopular.
For now, the onus is on Valve to save their flagship FPS franchise’s reputation before CS2 becomes known primarily as a cheater’s paradise. Gamers worldwide are hoping Valve can finally get a grip on the rampant cheating problem soon to make CS2 truly enjoyable again.
