
Valve has publicly asked for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive communityâs help in catching matchmaking abusers.
The public statement comes just after a massive ban wave that purged over 10,000 accounts from public matchmaking. Informal updates from Valve are rare, so this announcement could indicate that boosted accounts are still a pervasive issue in CSGO. The recent changes to Prime status have brought sweeping effects that Valve hopes will curb matchmaking abuse.
As the bans started rolling out on June 4, users on social media discussed the latest ban wave. Responses varied from positive feedback to theories on how so many accounts were actually boosted. Senior Valve software engineer John McDonald posted a response on a Reddit thread regarding the wave.
âSend more reports of botting players or matches you encounter our way at csgoteamfeedback at valvesoftware dot com(sic) with the subject âbot accountsâ. Thanks!â McDonald said.Â
The comment could reveal that community reports are a significant tool in finding those who participate in CSGO account boosting. Other users in the thread claimed that boosted accounts they had previously reported were banned in the wave. While Valveâs system is completely unknown outside of the company, their system likely relies on a combination of user reports and data analysis.
McDonaldâs statement is very brief, but even a short public response from a Valve employee is rare. The company has openly adopted a âshow, donât tellâ protocol when it comes to their games. Valveâs distinct approach extends to their esports circuits for both CSGO and Dota 2.Â
But this isnât the first time a Valve employee has posted on one of their gamesâ subreddit. McDonald himself has posted several comments and threads on software updates and technical support.Â
The most famous Reddit post from a Valve employee came from the company’s co-founder and president, Gabe Newell. In a 2016 Dota 2 post called âUpdate from the Shanghai Major,â Newell famously referred to Dota 2 personality James Harding as an “ass” who wouldn’t be working with the company again. This post came in the middle of The Shanghai Major, which is often considered the worst Valve esports event of all time.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.