A bunch of professional Counter-Strike gamers that have been suspended from playing the game for a year have now been “permanently banned”.
Competitive gaming is huge, especially so when it comes to first-person shooters. But what if, as seems easily possible, people start fixing games? Well, if they play in Valve-sponsored competitions (which are a big deal), they get banned.
Allegations emerged early last year of professional Counter-Strike teams intentionally fixing Global Offensive competitions, which hastily led to Valve suspending certain staff and players from a select number of teams.
Essentially players were transferring “high-valued items” won in matches to other people, something against the rules. This, as noted by Game Spot, is because doing so can affect the betting scenario on the outcome of matches, while the items could also be sold on the Steam marketplace.
Global Offensive is incredibly popular, with more than 10m users playing the game last month alone.
Now, a year after the original decision, Valve has released a statement making that decision, which it calls “disruptive and painful” to ban some of its members, permanent and final.
Calling the professional side of gaming “very important” to its community, Valve says that trust and integrity, therefore, are key.
“As the scene grows, it’s an unfortunate reality that some individuals will seek opportunities to take advantage of their fans.”
Cosplay Counter Strike image via 1000 Words/Shutterstock
