Should CSGO have a forgive option for killing teammates?
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s anti-griefing measures were put in place for good reason, but shouldn’t the victim be given a say?
Under CSGO’s current rules, any player who exceeds a certain amount of team damage instances or team kills is automatically booted from the server. None of the affected players, including the victim, can prevent this automated kick. Giving players the opportunity to forgive their killer might help make CSGO a less toxic community.
Under the current ruleset, a player can get banned for team damage in several ways. The most straightforward is killing teammates three times. CSGO players can also get kicked for exceeding 400 damage dealt to friendlies. That may seem like a lot, but a single terrible grenade can get a player halfway to the total. A large amount of team damage at the start of a round can also trigger a kick. If the pro match below took place on Valve servers, Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom would have been struck with a temporary matchmaking ban.
So why can’t CSGO players “forgive” the person facing the kick? It’s easy to imagine different ways that this could be approached, including an automated votekick instead of an instant ejection. Even if teams don’t choose to give someone a mulligan, real victims can get the satisfaction of condemning a griefer personally.
A teamkill forgiveness option in CSGO would also come with a few problems. A pair of griefers could endlessly kill each other over and over with no recourse from the other players. Allowing the four other players to all vote could also result in a tie. Still, the potential benefits of a more empathetic CSGO community might be worth the trouble.
CSGO team killing rules and penalties
There are three ways to trigger an automatic kick from Valve servers in CSGO.
- Deal 80 or more team damage at the start of a round
- Accumulate 400 team damage across rounds
- Kill three teammates
The rules that Valve implements of their own matchmaking service can differ from rules on community servers or third-party matchmaking services. In professional CSGO matches, there are no rules against team killing or dealing team damage.
Read Also
Counter-Strike
ENVY Returns to Counter-Strike After Five Years, Picking Up an “Unpaid” 3DMAX Roster
Owen Harsono
North American esports organization ENVY has officially made its return to Counter-Strike. After putting its CS:GO division on hold in 2021, the org returns by signing the full former 3DMAX roster, so they aren't starting from scratch. ENVY is not only a massive esports organization, but also a legendary one in Counter-Strike. The org fielded one of the strongest French rosters in history, winning the DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca Major in ...
Valorant
Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know
Khizar Mundia
Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting ...
Counter-Strike
Team Vitality vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
We have a clash of titans in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall consolidation final, as Team Vitality will take on FURIA for a grand final spot. Both teams have shown signs of shakiness throughout the event, so expect some scrappy Counter-Strike. Here are our Team Vitality vs FURIA predictions. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs – Lower Bracket Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...
Counter-Strike
MOUZ vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
MOUZ are set to take on FURIA in a do-or-die match in the $500,000 StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 lower bracket. Both teams have already suffered losses at the event, but we believe one team is in much better shape than the other. Here are our MOUZ vs FURIA predictions for September 19. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: MOUZ ...
Counter-Strike
StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026: Teams, format, schedule, and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Top-tier Counter-Strike is back on the menu with StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. It’s not a 16-team tournament with every top team in attendance, but it’s still bound to entertain us for a solid four days. Here’s everything you need to know about StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. Tier 1 Counter-Strike lands in Spain again for the first time in a while, with only eight teams in attendance. StarLadder StarSeries will be ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
