In DOTA 2 there are currently “special gifts” going around. Players receive a message that they have received a “seasonal reward.” However, what is in the gift is likely to be disliked by most players.
What kind of gift is it? Players receive a highly toxic lump of coal that is meant to be a reference to their toxic behavior. The description makes it clear what the lump of coal is good for: nothing.
The affected players have received a permanent ban with the “gift.” Valve cites that the players engaged in smurfing or committed other violations of Steam’s guidelines.
In the past, Valve has frequently taken action against smurf accounts. The company recently banned 90,000 accounts of unfair players. However, in celebration of the Christmas season, the ban now comes in a nicely wrapped gift.
In DOTA 2, there were major changes recently with the New Frontiers update:
Valve is taking action against smurf accounts and fans love it
What is smurfing?
- Smurf accounts are secret secondary accounts of skilled players used in MOBAs and shooters with matchmaking systems. As the freshly created account encounters low-ranked players in matchmaking, the opposing team usually has no chance against the professional player.
- Additionally, smurfers gain anonymity this way, and other players do not suspect who they are up against.
- Players use smurf accounts to troll, insult, and behave unfairly towards other players. For this reason, smurfers are not well-regarded in the community.
The new players are thus already frustrated from the very beginning because they directly encounter high-ranking players. This diminishes the fun of the game, which is why Valve consistently takes action against the accounts. The “gift” to players who behave unfairly is well-received by other fans.
How does the community react to this? In the Reddit forum where the gift was posted, many users are delighted by Valve’s funny idea. They find it particularly amusing that the gift can only be accepted, and the player does not get the option to refuse the free coal.
Some fans write, for example:
- captainrikes: ‘This is the ban you never knew you wanted! A surprise gift without the option for returns.’
- siforacc: ‘Valve’s ban game is stronger than my Wi-Fi connection. They master the art of delivering justice with style.’
- _W1LL14M_:
I wish more developers would be so cheeky when banning hackers, smurfers, etc.
What is even better: Valve also seems to reward players who have behaved well recently. User ilovecfb writes that there will be cosmetic free items for players who have stood out positively.
Another player from DOTA 2 would probably deserve the same gift: Steam: ‘This is not flaming, this is atrocious’ – players demand permanent ban for Russian pro in DOTA 2
