Valve has recently made significant adjustments to the rules regarding competitive cooldowns in CS:GO. The changes were highlighted in the updated FAQ section, shedding light on how participating in a party with suspicious players can impact one's Elo rating in Premier mode. This modification came to the forefront after dataminer Maxim 'GabeFollower' Poletayev discovered the new lines and promptly shared the information on Telegram.
One of the key updates states that individuals within a party responsible for causing a match to be invalidated due to suspicious activities will undergo a readjustment of their CS Rating. The exact timeline of when this measure was implemented remains uncertain, as the new lines ambiguously address an ongoing scenario.
The overarching objective of these alterations is evidently aimed at curbing instances of illegitimate boosting by cheaters. The potential implications of this adjustment can be far-reaching, especially if the system possesses retrospective capabilities to reduce CS Rating not just for the offender but also for other party members involved. However, Valve's communication lacks clarity on how the VAC operates in such scenarios.
Valve's initiative to flag players for 'irregular gameplay' began in the summer of 2024. The mechanism mirrors the VAC Trust Factor system seen in CS:GO, albeit with notable enhancements. The anti-cheat infrastructure now has the authority to annul a match along with its outcomes. Subsequently, players engaging in suspicious activities face competitive cooldowns that could potentially land them in shadow pools. The precise methodology remains shrouded in mystery, as Valve, like many game developers, maintains a veil of secrecy around the intricacies of their anti-cheat protocols.
