Since the introduction of CS2 many things have changed… a more vibrant environment, new map categories, movement feels more intuitive, much better grenade mechanics amongst many other improvements.
However… have the VAC bans changed as well? Will VAC bans carry over to CS2? Can you still play CS2 if you were banned in CS:GO?
Many questions, and we will answer them all in this article. We invite you to discover if the CS:GO bans transfer to CS2, to find out if you can play now or if you’ll have to start from scratch in the version of Counter-Strike.
Verdict: Can You Play CS2 If You Were Banned in CS:GO?
No, unfortunately you cannot play CS2 if you were banned in CS:GO because effectively the VAC bans transfer to the version of the game, and there’s no way to fix it because Valve won’t disclose why you were banned, but in the majority of cases it’s because you cheated.
And even if you knew the exact reason why you were banned, Valve won’t accept any request to lift a VAC ban, as they are issued permanently.
Thousands of VAC banned players have already proven it’s impossible to play CS2, because all the bans have been transferred from CS:GO, as it’s just an update of the game rather than a full restructuration of it.
So if you were planning to play at VAC-secured servers in CS2, you won’t be able to do it because Valve has made sure to keep the list of banned players without any modification.
If you are wondering why it’s the case, it’s because a VAC ban will carry over to all games using the same engine, which in this case it’s Source Engine. So it means you will not be able to play other games like TF2, Half Life and practically all other Valve games.
Is It True a VAC Ban in CS:GO Will Disappear After 7 Years?
If you were hoping you could just wait 7 years to be able to play CS2 on VAC-secured servers because Valve will lift the ban, we are sad to inform you it’s not the case. It sounds harsh, but this is a common misconception in the world of Counter-Strike.
A VAC ban will be displayed on your Steam profile but this will be removed in 7 years… but it doesn’t mean the ban will be lifted. It just means it will no longer show on your profile so none else will be able to see it but you.
Valve is severe when it comes to issuing VAC bans, because their anti-cheat system will automatically detect who incur in these practices to protect the rest of the players and deliver everyone a superb gameplay experience.
Therefore, given the importance of these measures, it’s not possible to play CS2 if you were banned in CS:GO, even if you wait 7 years to try again, since the release of CSGO there has always been a problem with cheaters.
Have Game Bans Also Carried Over from CS:GO to CS2?
Yes, even though game bans are one rank below VAC bans, they have also been transferred from CS:GO to CS2. Therefore, if you’re issued this type of ban, unfortunately you cannot play at VAC-secured servers either.
Fortunately, unlike VAC bans which are permanent and hence it’s impossible to remove them regardless of when they were issued, you can try your luck at getting rid of a game ban, which you can do by contacting the game developer.
Therefore, if the ban is not displayed on your Steam profile, it means you’re dealing with a game ban, and you still stand a chance at getting it lifted.
How Can You Play CS2 If You Were Game or VAC Banned?
Even though you cannot play CS2 on VAC-secured servers if you were game or VAC banned in CS:GO, which means you cannot play in the majority of cases, you can still work around it by playing at non-VAC servers.
It’s a fact you won’t be able to play in most online games or competitions, because all servers are set as “VAC” by default, and practically all leagues will follow the same approach.
Nonetheless, if you still want to play CS2 with your VAC-banned account, you can do it at non-VAC server as we mentioned earlier, which implies creating your own server and setting it as non-VAC or joining any of the available options that will allow you to join even if you were banned in CS:GO.
A Very Limited Pool of Options
As we previously mentioned, all servers are set as VAC by default, and the vast majority will remain configured that way, which leaves you with a very limited pool of options. You can forget about all the official CS servers.
And the biggest problem is your chances of encountering hackers and toxic players who will ruin your gameplay experience will skyrocket.
A simple Google search for non-VAC CS2 servers will serve you a list of options, but as you’re going to find, it’s kind of limited and the gameplay experience is not going to the best.
Therefore, if you’re okay dealing with hackers and toxic players, you can go ahead and follow this route. However, if you insist on playing with your banned account, and you still want to enjoy a decent gameplay experience, we recommend you to create your own non-VAC server and play with your friends. We will show you how in the next section.
Configuring Your Server to Non-VAC
First, you need to get a dedicated server, and then you need to start it in insecure mode. Here’s how you can do it:
- Buy a hosting and install Windows Server
- Establish a remote connection to the server
- Download SteamCMD and unpack it
- Run the SteamCMD file to install it
- Launch SteamCMD
- Input login your-username and hit Enter and follow the login instructions (use your Steam username)
- Input the force_install_dir C:cs2-server command to create the directory for CS2
- Input the app_update 730 validate command
- Configure the server.cf as necessary with your preferred game mode and other settings
- Create a shortcut for srcds.exe and place it in the CS2 directory
- Right-click on the shortcut, click on “Properties” and find the “Target” field
- Input the -insecure command
Now your server should be up and running, allowing you and other VAC-banned users to join and play without restrictions.
You Can Still Have Fun with Your Friends
If you are not interested in playing competitively, and hence you only care about having fun with your friends, they won’t care about your VAC banned status. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so just set up your own non-VAC server and invite them to play, so you can still enjoy the heat and action of CS2 regardless of your CS:GO ban.
However, if you’re interested in playing competitively and moving up the ranks in CS2, this approach won’t work. You need to start from scratch with a new account, and we’ll show you how to do it in the next section.
Can You Create a New Account to Play CS2 If You Were Banned in CS:GO?
Yes, because even the official FAQs let you know you can do this. However, it’s not as simple as just setting up a new account and starting playing CS2, because you can still get banned if you don’t solve the reasons that led to getting your CS:GO account banned.
Therefore, if you’re ready to start from scratch in CS2, we encourage you to follow these recommendations.
Uninstall All the Cheats from Your Computer
This is the first step you need to take before creating a new account to play CS2. Go ahead and uninstall all the cheat programs you used in CS:GO, because this is the reason for the ban in 99% of cases.
Sure, perhaps you shared your phone number with a friend to create his account and he was the one who cheated, which is a reason to get your own account VAC banned as well. However, this only applies to the minority of affected players.
Therefore, be honest with yourself, and if you ran cheats in CS:GO, get rid of those programs as soon as possible so you can get back to action.
Clean Your Hard Drive
Uninstalling the cheat programs won’t be enough, and there’s no reason to risk a VAC ban again. This was just for the purpose of acknowledging the mistake and preventing yourself from committing it again.
So after uninstalling the programs, format your hard drive to get rid of the registers, because the anti-cheat system by Valve will detect them even if you uninstalled the cheat programs.
Once it’s done and your computer is 100% clean of cheat programs, you can go ahead and start from scratch.
Use a New Email and Phone Number
Evidently, you need to use a brand new email, and although it’s not a requisite to use a new phone number, we recommend you to do so. There’s no reason to risk a VAC ban again, so go ahead and get yourself a new email and phone number to set up your account.
Learn From Your Mistakes
Now that you have a new account to play CS2, and your computer is free from cheat programs, learn from your mistakes so you don’t commit them again. There’s no reason to cheat especially if you’re interested in playing competitively, because you’re just lying to yourself.
Getting excellent at CS2 takes plenty of dedicated practice, and no cheat will ever replace the skills you will develop by playing the game consistently and learning along the way.
And if you experienced this problem because you shared your phone number with a friend or little brother to create his account, never do it again. It’s a terrible experience to get banned for something you didn’t do, but you’re in full control of who you share your phone number with. Keep it personal.
This is for you, our friend, for your new beginning in CS2, free of game and VAC bans, so you can keep playing the game for years to come without problems, and any version that folds up in the next few years.
Conclusion
Although CS:GO bans transfer to CS2, it’s not the end of the world because you can always set up your own dedicated server to play with your friends, or simply start from scratch with a new account.
If you have questions about this topic, you can write them down in the comments below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.