These are the most infamous VAC-banned CSGO pros

These are the most infamous Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professionals who received permanent VAC bans from Valve’s anti-cheat system.

A VAC ban represents the most severe disciplinary action any CSGO competitor can face. While Valve’s detection system doesn’t identify every cheater, those who are caught face permanent exclusion from competitive play. For professional athletes in the esports scene, this sanction means they can never again participate in Majors, which are the premier CSGO tournaments globally.

Simon “smn” Beck

Simon “smn” Beck competed as a German professional CSGO athlete before receiving his VAC ban during late 2014. During his active career, he represented the German organization Team ALTERNATE, which subsequently rebranded as ALTERNATE aTTaX. His competitive downfall began with an initial suspension on the ESEA platform, followed shortly by Valve’s permanent VAC ban.

Although smn wasn’t widely recognized among casual fans, his VAC ban generated significant controversy throughout the CSGO community. In a since-deleted Facebook statement following his ban announcement, he admitted to utilizing cheating software and subsequently accused multiple other professional players of similar misconduct. His controversial post identified these competitors as cheaters:

• Jacob “pyth” Mourujärvi
• Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
• Freddy “krimz” Johansson
• Karol “rallen” Rodowicz
• Hovik “KQLY” Tovmassian
• Fabien “kioShiMa” Fiey
• Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
• Jesper “jw” Wecksell

His social media declaration ignited widespread community suspicion, with enthusiasts accusing the named players of cheating and scrutinizing questionable gameplay moments. While initial public outrage reached substantial levels, the situation was poised to escalate dramatically.

Hovik “KQLY” Tovmassian

Hovik “KQLY” Tovmassian, competing as a French CSGO professional, received his VAC ban mere hours after smn’s suspension. While Beck remained relatively obscure, KQLY represented one of CSGO’s most prominent squads at that period, Team Titan.

KQLY’s ban dramatically intensified the ongoing community investigation. Since Tovmassian appeared on smn’s accusation list, many interpreted this as confirmation that all other named professionals must have cheated similarly.

KQLY eventually acknowledged utilizing cheating tools for approximately one week, though he maintained he never deployed them during official competitive matches.

Nikhil “forsaken” Kumawat

When Nikhil “forsaken” Kumawat was discovered operating aimbot software on his computer during the eXTREMESLAND 2018 Finals, he didn’t merely terminate his own professional trajectory. His actions potentially devastated the entire Indian CSGO competitive ecosystem.

During that period, India represented one of the most promising emerging markets for CSGO team development. OpTic Gaming capitalized on this opportunity by signing several of India’s most talented prospects, including forsaken.

However, forsaken had implemented aim assistance technology. During the eXTREMESLAND competition, his computer’s antivirus protection flagged the cheating software, alerting tournament officials to inspect his system. The player attempted to conceal his cheating tools by renaming the executable file “word.exe” in a transparently obvious manner.

forsaken ultimately received a comprehensive five-year ESIC prohibition, preventing his participation in any competitive events—whether Valve-sponsored or independent—in addition to his permanent VAC ban.

Vinicius “vsm” Moreira

Vinicius “vsm” Moreira is regarded among the next generation of CSGO superstars emerging from Brazil. However, one significant obstacle continues impeding his progress. During his early adolescence at thirteen years old, he employed cheating software in matchmaking environments, resulting in his gaming account receiving a permanent VAC ban.

This permanent ban has profoundly affected his professional development. While major tournament organizers have exonerated him and permitted his participation in their competitions, Valve has maintained its original position.

Numerous professional competitors and community influencers have publicly criticized the ongoing restriction. The #freevsm movement consistently trends across Twitter whenever the athlete executes remarkable in-game performances.

???? Also
#FreeVSM
https://t.co/rU4rsDscBe

— Nicolai Reedtz (@dev1ce)
November 2, 2020

Elias “jamppi” Olkkonen

In circumstances resembling vsm’s situation, Elias “jamppi” Olkkonen’s identity became associated with an account that received a VAC ban several years prior. However, jamppi consistently denies any personal cheating involvement.

He maintains he purchased the account for an acquaintance who subsequently received a VAC ban for cheating activities. Although the account registration contained his personal information, jamppi asserts he didn’t control the account during the ban implementation period.

Valve determined to maintain the ban despite these assertions. This decision prompted jamppi to initiate legal proceedings against the corporation attempting to restore his reputation. Nevertheless, Valve persisted in upholding jamppi’s VAC ban, since he would have violated Steam’s service terms regarding account sharing regardless of his claims’ validity.

jamppi remained prohibited from competition and couldn’t participate in Valve-sponsored tournaments. He recently transitioned to competing in Valorant as a direct consequence. Following streaming activities, he secured a contractual agreement with Team Liquid to compete with its Valorant roster.

Joel “emilio” Mako

Receiving a VAC ban presents severe consequences. Experiencing suspension during active competition, with numerous spectators observing live, creates exponentially worse circumstances.

Joel “emilio” Mako previously competed as a Swedish CSGO professional. During October 2014, he and his squad participated in the Fragbite Masters tournament series. During a competitive match versus HellRaisers, emilio unexpectedly lost connection to the game server. Spectators witnessed an automated notification indicating the competitor disconnected due to VAC ban implementation.

Broadcast commentators initially presumed technical malfunction. However, as time progressed, the ban’s legitimacy became undeniable. His team faced immediate disqualification while HellRaisers received default victory status. emilio persistently denied utilizing cheating tools and attempted reputation restoration. Once again, Valve declined reconsideration.

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