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CS2 skin trader banned with over $100,000 worth of skins

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 13/10/2023
CS2 care package

Renowned CS2 skin trader “Neon” has received a surprise ban from Valve on his Steam account, which holds $105450 worth of skins. 

Valve has been mercilessly banning cheaters in CS2, which is refreshing for old-timers begging the developer to wipe out the malicious players. However, not all bans have been fair, at least according to credible traders in CS2. 

This time, a renowned skin trader, Neon, has been VAC banned in the middle of the game. The community vouches for his reputation, and the trader himself claims he wasn’t cheating and doesn’t deserve the ban. However, he has warned the players about a potential reason behind the severe ban. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAhFeaS0k1E

On October 13, Traderbans posted about the ban, sending shockwaves through the trading community. The revelation about Neon, a well-established figure in the community, left fans astounded. Adding to the community’s sense of panic was the jaw-dropping value of Neon’s account.

As of this writing, Neon boasts an impressive collection of skins worth a staggering $105,450, including rare knives that most players can only dream of.

AMD anti-lag+ resulting in VAC ban in CS2

The CS2 skin trader claims that the ban is unfair and has a possible theory, which several other players have backed.

Neon CS2 trader banned
Neon’s CS2 inventory

Neon believes that AMD’s anti-lag+ is the reason behind the ban. VAC isn’t as invasive as other modern anti-cheats, but it does a decent job detecting third-party software. However, anti-lag+ is a harmless feature in Radeon, which shouldn’t lead to a strict ban. 

But another player claims they got banned a day after activating AMD anti-lag+, so Neon’s theory isn’t completely baseless. A few others are in the same boat, suggesting that this could actually be a false ban. 

https://twitter.com/marcofirefly1/status/1712821930456182874

In any case, skins worth millions are at stake right now, which is what most players are concerned about. Until Valve deduces the real cause, CS2 skin trader Neon has warned the community against using anti-lag+.

Neon has already contacted Steam support for his alleged false ban.

Update: Valve has acknowledged the issue with AMD anti-lag+ and has advised the players to turn off the feature to avoid a false VAC ban. Banned accounts will be reinstated once AMD rolls out an update, according to Valve.

Fariha Bhatti Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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