Over the last year, there has been quite a bit of drama in the professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene, particularly when it comes to match-fixing after several teams were found to have intentionally staged games in order to profit off of illegal bets. At the time, Valve ‘indefinitely suspended' 21 players but now, things have escalated and those proven to have taken part will be permanently banned from CSGO.
Valve noted yesterday that the bans for the currently caught players are permanent and any other teams caught will face the same consequences going forward.
In a post on the CSGO blog, Valve said: “Professional Counter-Strike is very important to us and to our community. The audience’s trust in the integrity of the sport has allowed it to grow to the point where it entertains millions of fans. To ensure that the highest level of competition continues to entertain, that integrity can never be called into question.”
“As the scene grows, it’s an unfortunate reality that some individuals will seek opportunities to take advantage of their fans. We will continue to take whatever action we think is necessary to protect the entertainment value created by professional Counter-Strike, including, on occasion, terminating our relationship with individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to exploit their fans’ faith in the integrity of the sport.”
KitGuru Says: Valve had some issues last year with pro-CSGO teams but hopefully now that it has demonstrated a willingness to outcast those doing wrong, things will start to get better.