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.

Read Also

Counter-Strike

Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Owen Harsono We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Owen Harsono The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview: who’s making it to the playoffs? Owen Harsono The IEM Cologne Major is the biggest tournament of the year, and after two stages of play, it’s finally time to unleash the big boys. Stage 3 will feature the 16 best teams in the world, but only eight can advance to the Playoffs and play on the big stage. Here’s our IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview. Before we got to Stage 3, a lot of things happened in ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...

Counter-Strike

BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...

Counter-Strike

Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...