Counter-Strike 2, which was released on September 27, is currently undergoing consistent updates to ensure optimal performance, but has been plagued by cheating.

According to a tweet dated October 2, a notorious cheat popular among CS2 gamers has been identified, resulting in a surge of Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) bans. These punitive measures were verified by third-party sources, who confirmed that numerous accounts fell prey to this widespread ban.

Cheating, a malignant problem that plagued its predecessor, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), has swiftly infiltrated the gaming environment of CS2, much to the chagrin of its global player base. This swift action from Valve, therefore, comes as a welcome relief for players, especially considering that CS2 has not yet implemented its proprietary version of Overwatch – a community-driven review system instrumental in identifying cheats in CS:GO.

For the newly minted CS2, Valve seems to have endowed significant trust in its VACnet AI. This advanced system is actively identifying and penalising cheaters, eliminating the need for community review. However, it is crucial to note that this nascent system has not been without faults, having erroneously banned innocent players in its zealous anti-cheating crusade.

During the beta phase of CS2, players reported a noticeable increase in cheating, particularly in Premier mode. This spike in illicit activity had led some within the gaming community to doubt the game’s future, citing the chronic cheating issues that haunted CS:GO through its tenure.

Despite these concerns, the recent wave of bans instills hope among the CS2 community. Valve appears to be on the brink of delivering a robust anti-cheat system, although it may be premature to pass judgment just days after the game’s official release.

FaZe Clan’s ropz, the Estonian esports sensation, has been vocally addressing these concerns, urging Valve to consider adopting a more aggressive anti-cheat technology. He suggested a system akin to Riot Games’ Vanguard software, deployed for VALORANT, as a viable means to eradicate cheating effectively.

IEM Sydney 2023, hosted by ESL, will be the first major international event played on Counter-Strike 2. The event will take place from October 16 to 22 in Australia.

The first CS2 Major will be played the PGL Copenhagen Major in March 2024, with it set to draw the best players from around the globe.

Predictably, the CS2 community has largely welcomed Valve’s decisive action against cheaters, appreciating the steps taken to preserve the game’s integrity and ensure a fair playing field for all. For those who have yet to experience CS2, the game is currently accessible for download and play on Steam without restrictions.

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Turns out a lot of you want to play Counter-Strike 2!

If you're having trouble finding a match it's because we've hit server capacity in different regions.

We're adding more server capacity as fast as possible. Thanks for your patience while this is being addressed.

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 28, 2023

After its release, millions of gamers faced difficulties accessing matchmaking lobbies.

The root of the problem appears to be server capacity, with CS2 grappling to accommodate the surging player base on its opening day.

Valve is well aware of these server issues and is actively working on a solution, which includes the addition of more servers in regions facing the most challenges.

The game’s developers are also urging the community for patience during this time.

On its opening day, CS2 managed to surpass an impressive 1.4 million concurrent players, coming within 400,000 of its peak five months ago, according to SteamDB.

If the servers are already overcrowded, the situation may worsen over time.

Since its full release, CS2 players have reported increasingly lengthy queue times, some even enduring hours of waiting without a game starting.

These concerns prompted Valve to expand server capacity in various regions.

However, server issues are not the only concern troubling the community.

Fans have expressed worries about the lack of content, particularly the absence of features that were present in CS:GO.

Elements like Danger Zone, achievements, Wingman mode, and workshop maps have yet to be added alongside the Source 2 update, leading many players to request more from Valve.

Additionally, players have reported encountering cheaters in their games, with prominent community members supporting these claims.

This issue plagued CS:GO for a significant portion of its existence, and players had hoped that CS2’s new VAC-live system from Valve would address the cheating problem.

It appears that Valve has substantial work ahead to address the early challenges faced by CS2 and its server infrastructure.

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pic.twitter.com/SM57ZVCTmI

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 27, 2023

This significant update has officially rebranded the game as Counter-Strike 2 on the Steam platform, and players can now readily download the update.

The Counter-Strike community had been buzzing with anticipation for months, with excitement reaching a fever pitch when Valve teased the September 27 release date.

While some players initially believed it might be another one of Valve’s pranks, the developer came through with the highly anticipated launch.

CS2 introduces a slew of changes and improvements that were honed during the beta testing phase, including dynamic smoke grenades, interchangeable loadouts, and revamped maps.

Perhaps the most enticing aspect of CS2 is that it’s accessible to anyone with a Steam account, and there’s no cost involved.

Players can easily download the CS2 update and dive into the game.

However, Valve has also introduced the option to upgrade to CS2 Prime, which offers additional features, such as the ability to play with Prime-only players.

This move is aimed at reducing the likelihood of encountering smurf accounts or cheaters on official servers, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

In summary, the launch of CS2 marks a new era in the Counter-Strike franchise.

With its array of improvements and accessibility, it’s sure to draw both veteran players and newcomers into the world of Counter-Strike for an exciting and revamped gaming experience.

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The bill would be centred around video games that feature ‘loot boxes‘ that players gamble to win virtual assets, with or without the use of real money.

If this bill is to be passed by parliament, it would regulate game classifications and require all games that feature loot boxes be clearly labelled and carry R18+ classification.

“The R18+ classification would align with the fact that you must be 18 to legally gamble,” Wilkie said, in his address to parliament on Monday.

“One mother then told me about her then 17-year-old son spending three and a half thousand dollars in just eight weeks on loot boxes.

“Now almost 24, her son still spends money on the in-game platform, Steam — at times haemorrhaging hundreds of dollars a day.

“The family, she says, has been through hell.”

Wilkie then went onto quote the lady further by adding that she believes “the brain of a gamer is similar to that of a heroin addict, it’s no different, it’s a dopamine hit”.

Once Wilkie started to address the speaker and the rest of parliament, he added that he does not want to see our children groomed into gambling by these loot boxes.

“Speaker, clearly we cannot continue to let our children to be groomed to future gambling in this way,” he said.

“No wonder governments around the world are beginning to wise up and take action, with loot boxes already banned in several countries around the world as pressure rises for regulation in many others.”

The other countries that Wilkie refers to include Belgium and the Netherlands, which now have blanket bans on any video game that contains loot boxes.

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The new set record was reached after the season launched with the latest new character included in the game – ‘Newcastle’ – and changes to the player’s ranked mode and the map Storm Point. This is coming three years after launch and a year after its release on Steam, as it continues to surpass its own record.

??In the previous seasons, players faced issues that hampered their playing experience. An example of these issues faced was server instability. As a result of these several technical issues, dips were caused in FPS, and thereby fear of repetition left room for doubt concerning the recent 13th season. ??However, due to the new milestone achieved, it seems the players aren’t expressing technical difficulties in the game.

During Season 12 of the game, which launched on February 19, it managed to set a record of 393,000 concurrent players on Steam, which was much higher than the Season 9 record of 330,879 concurrent players during its launch in May 2021.??

According to Alpha Intel, the game reached an all-time high of 412,556 players on Steam, and this doesn’t include the player base on platforms other than PC, except EA’s PC platform and all consoles where Apex is available. It’s quite possible that if all of the platforms were accounted for, the concurrent players might have surpassed 1 million.??

“Apex Legends hit a new all-time peak player count on Steam for the Season 13 launch. Over 400,000 concurrent players on Steam for the first time ever,”?? Alpha Intel reported via Twitter.

Electronic Arts revealed on May 10 that Apex Legends had generated over $2 billion in earnings since its launch in 2019. A mobile version of the game – Apex Legends Mobile – is scheduled to be released later in May 2022 and is said to support cross-platform play.

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