Counter Strike: Global Offensive’s eSports community is going through a trying time, as some of its players are embroiled in a new hacking scandal.
VAC, or Valve’s anti cheat system, detected and subsequently banned professional players Hovik "KQLY" Tovmassian, Simon "smn" Beck, and Gordon " Sf" Giry for discreetly using cheats while playing the game.
The said cheat is very discreet in that you would not recognize it being used by eye. Subsequently, the effect is very minor; a slight boost in aiming, which could make a difference in the most difficult moments, but is intrinsically not a significant game changer in casual play. However slight, this advantage could be enough to help a pro get ahead of their equals.
The hack is near undetectable. In fact, the only way most players could see it is if they were observed installing the hack. As a result, this calls into question practically all the competitive play all three players have accumulated as professional cyberathletes.
KQLY, the most high profile cheater, and himself one of the scene’s best players, has apologized for compromising his team’s reputation. In turn, his team, Titan, has cut ties with him completely and condemned his actions. These players have also been banned from the upcoming Dreamhack 2014, one of the biggest events in the scene.
Unfortunately for CS:GO players everywhere, not only do these events put a damper on the immediate event, it threatens to compromise the legitimacy of the scene itself. It’s up to them to ensure enough safeguards are in place to monitor cheating, and more importantly, that they take immediate, appropriate action.