CSGO Vac Bans will only disqualify a player from Valve events if they are received less than five years prior.
Valve has just announced some big changes to its VAC rules that will have a huge impact on the esports scene. VAC bans will only disqualify a CS:GO player from Valve-sponsored events if they were imposed within the last five years.
Valve changes RMR eligibility guidelines
Up until now, players with VAC bans on their accounts were ineligible to play in Valve events. Without any cap, the VAC bans would disqualify a player indefinitely. However, some bans are now eight years old and Valve has decided five years is the maximum limit for VAC bans to impact a player's career. Players with bans older than five years are now eligible to compete in Valve events.
Moving forward, a VAC ban will only disqualify a player from an event if it was either received less than 5 years prior, or if it was received at any time after their first participation in a Valve-sponsored event (e.g., after participating in a qualifier for an RMR event). Note that VAC bans stay in place with all of their other effects; the only change is how they influence your eligibility to play in Valve-sponsored events.
The CS:GO Major is usually the pinnacle of Counter-strike esports. Until now, players with VAC bans were ineligible to play in CS:GO Majors regardless of the date of issue. The new ruling will pave the way for many players who might have VAC bans on their accounts for their actions several years ago.
Team Vitality recently signed Jayson "Kyojin" Nguyen Van to its CS:GO roster. The player had a VAC ban on his account from several years ago. Following a ‘full investigation’ by the game developers and complete cooperation by the young player, he is now free to compete in Valve events. With Valve’s latest ruling, other players who might have played on a banned account several years ago can still hope to compete at the highest level of Counter-Strike.
What does this mean for the professional scene?
Valve says all other effects associated with a VAC ban will remain in effect. Alternatively, a player can also be ineligible to compete in Valve events due to other reasons. There are several (ex) professional players that have VAC bans on their accounts from several years ago. While some have already moved to VALORANT, there are quite a few that have stuck around, hoping for some solution.
Valve announces South American RMR event
The game developer also revealed Circuito Brasileiro de Counter-Strike (CBCS) as its partner for the 2021 South American RMR event. The CS_summit 8 was recently announced as the next RMR event for North America while Perfect World will host the Chinese event. The top teams from the RMR events will qualify to the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 later this year.
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest CS:GO news and updates.