Blast bans magic molotovs that defy CSGO skyboxes

Blast has banned the overpowered skybox molotovs but the community is a bit confused about the ruling. 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has many glitches and the keen players continue to find loopholes in the game. Skybox molotovs are also a genius find of the players that allow grenades to float in the air longer than their life. These molotov lineups can be game-changing. Unfortunately, professional players won’t be allowed to utilize them in tournaments, Blast’s esports operations manager has ruled. 

This, like over Molotov's that take advantage of the skybox mechanics, are banned at @BLASTPremier events. As we believe that like Pixel walking and other exploits these were not the intention of the map creator. https://t.co/hF3yB81MfK

— Rob (@Mulgan95) September 2, 2021

CSGO has tons of long-standing bugs that Valve hasn’t yet acknowledged or fixed. The exposed skybox and pixel-walking are some of the significant issues in map designs that remain unpatched. These problems had never been game-breaking but newer map Ancient may allow players actually to benefit from these exploits. 

The magic molotov lineups shared by Andrew “kaze” Khong can be crucial for Terrorists in clearing out the top middle area. No other lineup could safely send the incendiary to the central location, making this one a cutting setup. However, Blast’s esports operations manager noticed the exploited smokes and advised players to refrain from using these. While it does make sense to avoid using an exploit, the community is questioning why Valve hasn’t fixed the issue that is clearly impacting the pro games. 

Other tournament organizers haven’t ruled against existing bugs that Valve has overlooked. Community figures are concerned about setting different guidelines for exploits that Valve hasn’t officially noticed. The skybox exploit isn’t a hidden or new bug. It’s out in public, yet the developer has failed to deliver a fix. Thus, players are simply using a well-known molotov that’s part of the game, making it seem ineligible for a ban for a single tournament. 

Blast hasn’t commented further on the ruling. But this is the first time the infamous magic molotov has been banned in an official tournament. CSGO match-making players have long been using this exploit in different maps, that it has now become a regular mechanic of the game. It remains to be seen if Valve finally takes notice of this bug after the tournament organizer has officially ruled it a vile bug. 

What’s a magic molotov in CSGO?

Skybox molotovs, most commonly known as “magic molotovs,” are carefully designed lineups that allow the grenade to fly longer than they should. Typically, a molotov has a life of two seconds before it hits a solid object and burst into fire. But, when it fails to find a horizontal surface and hits an exposed skybox, it travels instead of blowing up.