CS2 VAC bans, game bans, Trust Factor and Overwatch explained

Counter-Strike 2 handles cheaters and disruptive players with several systems at once: Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC), permanent game bans, Trust Factor matchmaking and an Overwatch system. Valve and Steam Support document each in a different place, and the pages were written at different times.

This guide pulls them together, as of Valve’s Aug. 19, 2024 notes and Steam Support pages dated 2021 to 2024, so details may have changed since.

VAC bans and CS2 game bans compared

Steam Support has two separate help pages. Its VAC page, last updated Oct. 7, 2021, covers Steam in general. A Counter-Strike 2 page, last updated Jan. 10, 2024, covers game bans. Valve’s CS2 patch notes use the term “VAC ban.”

One exception applies to VAC bans. If a VAC ban is determined to have been issued incorrectly, it is removed automatically after investigation. Steam Support does not remove VAC bans manually for any reason.

What triggers a VAC ban

According to Steam Support, a VAC ban is applied when an account, or an account using a phone number tied to other accounts, connects to a VAC-secured server while running cheat software. Valve Anti-Cheat regularly checks the game files of users connected to Valve’s servers for third-party software that gives players an advantage.

Steam Support does not say which program caused a ban. It wrote that releasing this information “would only benefit cheat developers.”

VAC bans are only issued when software provides an advantage on VAC-secured servers. If the software was a cheat for a game that is not VAC-secured, disabling it does not remove the ban.

How to see which games a VAC ban affects

In the gameSteam›Settings›Account›Click here for details (under VAC Status)

A VAC-banned account can still play single-player games, local LAN games and multiplayer on servers that are not VAC-secured. To find those servers, open View > Servers in the Steam main menu, select Change Filters and choose Not secure in the Anti-cheat dropdown.

What CS2 game bans cover

Steam Support wrote that game bans in Counter-Strike 2 are issued when a player attempts to circumvent or interfere with game systems to the detriment of others. Its examples:

• Cheating.
• Manipulation of matchmaking rank by deranking or falsely increasing your Skill Group or Counter-Strike Rating.
• Botting or automation.
• Intentionally interfering with the normal operation of game servers or other players.

Steam Support does not share which of these led to a ban. A game-banned account cannot move its CS2 items to another account.

Live bans and kicks during matches

Valve’s patch notes describe what happens to a match when a cheater is caught or detected.

• June 6, 2023Valve wrote that VAC would “live ban” and end the match gracefully at the end of the round, unless it was the last round and the cheater lost. The match would not affect any participant’s Skill Group. Players who were not lobbied with the VAC-banned player would earn XP for the match.
• Aug. 19, 2024Valve wrote that certain movement and shooting input automation, such as hardware-assisted counter strafing, would be detected on Valve official servers and result in a kick from the match. Valve also began initial testing of VacNet 3.0 on a limited set of matches.

In the same Aug. 19 update, input binds that include more than one of a listed set of commands are ignored by default. The list includes jump, attack and reload. Support can be re-enabled with the cheat-protected convar cl_allow_multi_input_binds 1.

Parties and phone numbers

Two rules reach beyond the account that cheated.

Steam Support wrote that VAC bans are applied to all accounts sharing a phone number at the time of the infraction. Accounts that do not own the game still receive the ban and cannot buy it afterward. The feature is not enabled for every game; developers decide.

Valve’s Sept. 27, 2023 notes add a party rule. When party members are convicted of cheating and permanently banned, all their associates lose Profile Rank and CS Rating.

If a ban looks wrong

Steam Support says VAC bans cannot be appealed and that it does not manually remove them. Valve has acted on its own, though. On Oct. 19, 2023, it added a startup check for incompatible AMD graphics drivers and wrote that it would “begin reversing VAC bans for affected players.”

Valve’s Sept. 27, 2023 notes also say game clients running in workshop tools mode cannot connect to VAC secure game servers.

Trust Factor matchmaking

Trust Factor is Valve’s system for matching players who are likely to have a good experience together. Valve introduced it in CS:GO on Nov. 13, 2017, and Steam Support’s Counter-Strike 2 page (Nov. 1, 2023) describes it for CS2.

What the CS2 page says:

• FactorsValve does not publish the list. In general, Trust Factor looks at a user’s past experience in CS2 and on Steam. Valve gave two reasons for keeping the list private: players should not have to worry about any particular action, and any list would become outdated quickly.
• Checking itThere is no way to check your Trust Factor.
• Improving itBe a positive member of the CS2 and Steam community and keep playing CS2 and other Steam games legitimately. The more a user plays, the more information the system has.
• PrimePhone numbers and Counter-Strike 2 Rank are among the factors. Steam Support encourages players to link a phone number for Prime, saying this improves matchmaking.
• New playersA new player does not necessarily have a low Trust Factor. A player with a good history in the Steam Community will likely enter CS2 with a high one.
• PartiesMatchmaking uses the lowest Trust Factor of any individual in the party.

Lobby warnings

Before a Competitive match, players with Prime status are told if a lobby member who is also opted into Prime will affect their matchmaking experience. Only Prime players see these messages:

• “Your matchmaking experience may be slightly impacted because Trust Factor of (player) is lower than yours.”
• “Your matchmaking experience will be significantly affected because Trust Factor of (player) is substantially lower than yours.”

You may still queue with that player, but Steam Support says the quality of the match may degrade. As a player’s Trust Factor improves, the message shows to fewer users.

Valve’s 2017 CS:GO post adds a warning about accounts: a player who acquires a premade Steam account also acquires its Trust Factor. Valve wrote that such accounts commonly have a very low Trust Factor and added, “Don’t acquire accounts from other users.”

Overwatch

For CS2, Valve’s April 25, 2024 release notes contain one line: “Added Overwatch system to enable match demo review by trusted partners.”

Valve’s CS:GO Overwatch FAQ describes the older system. It may not match the CS2 version, so treat it as background:

• Qualified, experienced players (“investigators”) reviewed reports of disruptive behavior and could apply temporary bans.
• Investigators watched a replay of eight rounds, roughly 10 minutes, from the accused player’s match. Other players’ names were replaced and text and voice chat were omitted.
• Each charge had two verdicts, “Insufficient Evidence” or “Evident Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.” Investigators could also postpone a review.
• Ban length depended on the severity of the offense and the suspect’s history of convictions.
• Investigators with higher Overwatch scores carried more weight. The score reflected accuracy in both real and test cases.
• Investigators could earn XP for accurate verdicts.

FAQ

Can a VAC ban be appealed?

No. Steam Support wrote that VAC bans cannot be appealed and that it does not manually remove them. A ban issued incorrectly is removed automatically after investigation.

Can I see my Trust Factor?

No. Steam Support wrote on Nov. 1, 2023 that there is currently no way to check it.

Does Prime status help my Trust Factor?

Yes. Steam Support wrote that phone numbers and Counter-Strike 2 Rank are among the factors, and that linking a phone number for Prime improves your matchmaking experience.

Does CS2 have Overwatch?

Valve’s April 25, 2024 release notes say it added an Overwatch system to enable match demo review by trusted partners.

How do I see which games my VAC ban affects?

Open Steam > Settings > Account and select “Click here for details” under VAC Status.