Valve issuing bans to TI10 Battle Pass guild cheaters

Nina Forneloza Published 25/07/2020

Players are finding plenty of new ways to guarantee they receive free BP from their TI10 Battle Pass, and Valve isn’t especially keen on that.

The return of guilds to Dota 2 became the best way way to boost one’s Battle Pass quickly, replacing the previous daily hero challenge and weekly challenge systems with guild contracts. Another option for free BP that is theoretically separate from guilds is the wagering system. Players can wager up to 250 tokens on winning a game, with teammates having the abilty to throw in multipliers that can open up the possibility to earn multiple levels in a single win.

But what about combining the two? Some players are using the guild system to set up fixed matches where players will wager tokens en masse in order to quickly earn levels in the TI10 Battle Pass.

Exploit users claimed that they use strategies that are “undetectable.” The players trick the system into thinking that there was a quick, normal game that ended in 20 minutes. Players in the same guild queue up together and use various matchmaking options to increase their chances of being matched against one another. They pick relatively unpopular servers, use uncommon language choices, and queue for lesser-used game modes such as Random Draft and All Random. They then coordinate with one another to guarantee that they have been placed in the same game before accepting.

One side will go all-in on gold token wages and are guaranteed a win. The opponents will do the same the next round. With a maximum wager and multiple multipliers, players can earn five levels with a single win or more.

Players can also use this as an opportunity to finish Cavern quests, Guild quests, and Achievements, as well as Dota Plus quests unrelated to the TI10 Battle Pass.

It’s like hitting multiple birds in one stone. With all these completed quests and wages, it’s not surprising that the players rack up thousands of battle pass points.

Valve banning TI10 Battle Pass abusers

This isn’t a risk-free system, though. Valve does have means of detecting matchmaking abuse and the consequences are harsh if players are caught.

Anyone that is caught exploiting matchmaking faces consequences up to banning. This means all the money spent on the Battle Pass will be gone for good.

There are a lot of factors that can trigger the ban hammer and getting a few free levels isn’t all that much of a reward, considering the risk. Given the fact that many players have a backpack worth more than the market price for whatever levels they may gain, players most likely would be better off ponying up the cash instead of hoping to elude Valve.

Nina Forneloza

About Nina Forneloza

Nina Forneloza is a huge fan of gaming, but her favorite genres of games above all other are gacha games, first-person shooting games, and role-playing games. When she isn’t looking for a lucky pull in the latest gacha, you’re likely to find her in a competitive Valorant lobby or playing the latest big single-player RPG. Either way, you can be assured that she’ll be into it and ready to write about the experience.

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