First CS2 VAC ban wave trashes thousands in skins

William Davis Published 02/10/2023

New cheaters were inevitable with the release of CS2, but Valve’s first ban wave has been a doozy.

The switch to Source 2 was bad news for serial CSGO cheaters. Engine swaps all but invalidate old cheating programs, and that meant a much better experience for the game’s launch. However, between the lengthy beta test and lucrative cheating industry, wallhacks and auto-aim were bound to rear their ugly heads.

However, in a first for CS2, Valve has dropped the ban hammer on hundreds of accounts in an effort to keep matchmaking clean. Here are details on the ban wave and a look at some of the juiciest accounts left out to dry.

The ban wave was first noticed by Counter-Strike fans on social media. Unconfirmed reports claim that Valve cracked one of the most popular cheating applications for CS2, which likely powered hundreds if not thousands of cheaters. ConVars ban tracker lists the total number of VAC banned accounts at over 1,200 since the launch of the game, and game bans more than double the total. 

However, when it comes to laughing at banned accounts, Counter-Strike fans always prioritize quality over quantity. Check out some of those cheaters’ insane skins that are now completely worthless.

First CS2 ban wave knocks out high-tier skins 

It’s impossible to tell exactly how much value in skins was blasted by the ban wave, but a few high-end accounts show that thousands of dollars worth of skins are now worth literally nothing. One such account was confirmed to contain a Flio Knife | Tiger Tooth, Butterfly Knife | Lore, and Shadow Daggers | Marble Fade, all factory new with the last one being StatTrak™. Another Chinese banned account seems to show a pair of Sport Gloves | Nocts and an AK-47 | Jaguar down the drain.

Cheating with high-tier skins is probably one of the biggest sins possible in Counter-Strike. With this ban wave, all of the skins used by the cheaters have been effectively removed from the CS2 marketplace. They cannot be sold or traded to other players, leaving the owners to just use them in offline modes. Previous ban waves have wiped out over $2 million worth of skins in one fell swoop, providing extra incentive for players to keep their accounts clean.

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