It’s about sending a message

Since Counter-Strike: Global Offensive went live to the public in August of 2012, Valve has adopted their usual stance of radio silence on all future updates. This has proven to be both as blessing and a curse, as it results in fewer unmet expectations, while ensuring that each new patch arrives as a pleasant surprise to the legions of fans. But some fans don’t want surprises- they want results.

Especially when the integrity of the game is on the line.

It wasn’t long after launch that the many heads of the hydra-like hacking subculture reared forth from the dark abyss where they reside. Where there is money or acclaim to be had, there will inevitably be ne’er-do-wells searching for the easy route to the top of the pack. The community would cry out to Valve for respite from the waves of blatant cheaters that crashed around the genuine players, but Valve continued to keep mum on the issue. All we wanted was to know that we had been heard, and that Gabe Newell would ride in at dawn on the fifth day to rescue us from our peril.

Valve shouldered the criticism that the desperate public levied against them and continued to work against the malefactors in the shadows. Hindsight is 20/20, and Valve eventually explained the lack of communication: the more obscure their efforts, the better.

Tell me, who’s watching- who’s watching me

Behind the scenes, Valve pushed out several “silent” updates, which is to say they changed how the game is run server-side. Baby steps- but any news is good news in the battle for fair play. Like I said last week, e-sports is still struggling to be taken seriously by the mainstream, but Valve is taking the occasionally difficult but necessary steps to earn credibility.

We still have a long uphill climb ahead of us as a community. Coming up in January, X Games Aspen has teamed with Major League Gaming in a major play for bringing e-sports into the spotlight. Lots of eyes will be watching, and it will certainly prove to be a litmus test for bigger and better events down the road. Tune in, and show future sponsors that the viewership exists- if we don’t take our majors seriously, how can we expect others to?

Report the suspicious while matchmaking, and let Overwatch sort them out. Rampant public accusations could prove more toxic than they’re worth, and we have many tools at our disposal for reviewing match demos and self-policing.

Above all, don’t stop playing.

Valve will continue to stand sentry, waiting for the opportune moment to strike at the heart of those developing and using hacks. In the meantime, we have a responsibility to continue to support these tentative steps toward a brighter future for gaming.

Come back next Monday for another editorial on e-sports!

Articles posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Until next time, keep fragging!