In Counter-Strike Global Offensive, there is a huge cleanup operation. Since 2017, coaches in e-sports for CS:GO have allegedly been cheating by exploiting a bug. It is already being referred to as “The Purge,” the great cleansing. However, the 37 coaches are apparently just the tip of the iceberg.
How did they cheat? The e-sports referee Michal Slowinski explains the exploit. Essentially, on a map at a certain spot, one can “bug” in such a way that one can move freely over the map like in spectator mode.
This allows players to see exactly how the opponent is playing and pass that information to their team in CS:GO. The camera can be moved freely.
Knowing exactly where the opponent is and how they proceed offers enormous advantages.
This “spectator” bug has somehow been in CS:GO since at least 2017 and has circulated in the scene. Allegedly, coaches have stumbled upon this bug by chance over and over again. Some coaches have dutifully reported the exploit to tournament organizers. Others, however, have apparently exploited it.
Cheater situation has been pending for a month
This is what was known so far: A month ago, at the beginning of September 2020, the ESL issued bans against 3 pro coaches who had exploited the bug. The coaches received bans of up to 2 years.
Even then, it was clear: the situation with the 3 bans is not over but is just beginning.
The ESL then stated, “Guys, if you also cheated, come forward; everything is being investigated now.”
So it is now: The “Esports Integrity Commission” has now presented its investigation. They have to review 15 terabytes of material and have received nearly 100,000 demos from ESEA and HLTV. They are only 20% through with the review.
- The good news is: Evidence of cheating has been found in only 0.1% of the demos.
- The bad news: With the large amount of data, that is still quite a lot. In the meantime, further penalties have been imposed on 37 coaches from CS:GO. The penalties and offenses are listed in a table (via esic).
- The final report is expected at the end of October.
The bans range from 3 months in the lightest case up to 3 years: Someone extensively exploited the bug.
One ban of a coach who had already been punished a month ago has now been extended: MechanoGun, who was previously banned for two years, is now the coach who has been banned for 3 years. His team “Hard Legion” had already released him.
Those who are banned are not allowed to have contact with their team 15 minutes before match start. They cannot be physically near the match, must leave the server and Discord, and cannot interfere with the map selection.
Coach admits to cheating, receives 60% discount on his penalty
How to deal with this now? In the CS:GO community, at HLTV, the action against the coaches is already being called “The Purge” – the great cleansing. The incidents have been occupying the community for 4 weeks now. Individual coaches have repeatedly come forward, stating that they also used the bug. More and more horror reports have emerged regarding how many would be affected.
Some coaches had already confessed behind closed doors. They received milder penalties.
Coach “guerri” from FURIA was supposed to receive a penalty of 10 months. However, because he confessed earlier, 6 months of his penalty were waived. guerri is now satisfied with his ban. He is glad to have that behind him.
The issue has been concerning CS:GO for weeks – Which coach is guilty?
Teams are dealing with coaches differently:
- Some teams want to continue working with their coaches and support them. The team OG Esports stated that they wanted to give their coach a second chance (via twitter)
- Other teams, however, have immediately parted ways with their coaches.
The commission states: There is no way to determine whether the teams and players of the convicted coaches knew what was going on. Therefore, they urge fans not to speculate.
In a statement, the commission says: They understand how tough the revelations are for many in the CS:GO community but believe it is ultimately for the best for the game and esports to confront these problems sincerely.
In any case, it is a drastic development that calls the integrity of 3 years of esports into question.
CS:GO is a shooter that has traditionally been associated with cheating. This has been the case since time immemorial and is no different in 2020. It is important for all esports athletes and viewers that CS:GO feels secure and fair. Those who cheat will always have in mind whether they will eventually be found out.
Because ultimately, the misconduct haunts the cheaters:
Cheaters were only discovered at a CS:GO tournament after they had won.
The title image is from the Twitter account of MIBR. It shows their now suspended coach “dead” in the background.
