CS2 is currently one of the most popular games ever, boasting an impressive number of players. There are some disadvantages of having so many active users though. The most important of these are cheats and all other factors that negatively affect the game experience of other players. For this reason, Valve has created an unprecedented system for Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) in the game world. CS2 has a system called Overwatch, in which trusted partners or community members are involved in controlling the game’s quality.

In CS2, Overwatch allows players to monitor their own game and pass judgments on possible cheaters. Here’s all you need to know about CS2 and CSGO overwatch feature!

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How Does Overwatch Work in CSGO and CS2?

The overwatch feature allows experienced players to review game footage for suspected cheating, and you have to watch the match of the potential cheating player. If you’ve passed the overwatch requirements and got accepted, you might find the overwatch icon in the main menu once you start the game. Clicking the overwatch icon will allow you to start watching matches and pass judgments on whether a player who got reported a suspicious amount of times is cheating.

These matches are watched through the eyes of the reported player. You will view the moments in the game where the reported user is likely to cheat.

Investigators, who watch the approximately 10-minute match summary, must make a decision if they find that something is against Valve’s policies. These decisions are also subject to the voting system. If a joint decision is made in the voting, the ban will take place.

The biggest benefit of the Overwatch system to the CS2 and CSGO community is to take serious measures against cheaters who are heavily involved. And with the inclusion of other players who enjoy playing CS2 and CSGO, an active anti-cheat community is established. This is an advantage that elevates the official competitive matchmaking experience in CS2. Cheaters appear in practically all CS2 ranks, so the investigators must always be on the lookout.

In addition, Investigators can use evidence replay rights when they are unable to arrive at a verdict. Using some code, they use offline data sources and can download the summary of the game. These codes are; They provide wide perspective, bullet rotation and speed up repetitions. And finally, they combine offline data sources to achieve a final verdict. Remember – if you need to sell CS:GO (CS2) skins, be sure to do it at SkinsMonkey, where you’ll get the best prices always.

How to Select Qualified and Experienced Members as Investigators in CS2?

Prospective Overwatch Investigators are determined by the activities the players perform in CS2. For example, factors such as competitive wins, account age, the total hours played, the number of reports, and the skill set are taken into account. These factors collectively form the overwatch requirements, which have evolved from past access standards in CS2 and are continually refined.

They have to leave off an informed and accurate judgment because they are considered as qualified and experienced members. They do not have to belong to any skill group, but they are referred as many skilled reviewers.

Known Investigators Criteria;

  • Personal Trust Factor score
  • Total game hours
  • Your account has Prime Status
  • Your Ranked match win

If you have been selected as Overwatch Investigator, CSGO and CS2 will now offer you players to watch with evidence. As an Investigators, you are given an eight-round record of the player who is likely to have cheated. Until they watch this recording and decide, that player’s profile will have the word “suspicious”. In addition, Investigators are not provided with a copy of the text and voice chat recordings in the game. They just have to come to a decision by watching the game recording.

How Does a Cheating Player Drop into the Overwatch System?

The most important point that is generally known to be obvious is that a player is reported too often. If there are frequent reports of cheating or disruptive behavior about a player within a certain period of time, that player is stuck in the Overwatch system. However, in some cases, players can be reported as being toxic in CS2 and CSGO overwatch.

That’s why it’s very important which options are selected when reporting a player. As we mentioned above, a player who has been reported a lot from the options in the cheat category such as Wallhack or Aim will enter Overwatch quickly.

What Decisions Can Investigators Make?

Investigators must make a decision after they have done enough research. After their Overwatch session is over, they have four possible offenses to choose from. As a result of these four charges, Investigators must choose between two options.

The first of these is “Insufficient Evidence” if no crime against the policy has been detected. If the player is 100% guilty, the “Evident Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” option is selected to be banned. If Investigators are having trouble making a decision, “Postpone” can initiate a deferral and review it later.

If all Investigators collectively agree after these processes, the report is concluded. Other Investigators verdicts are also important. If the Investigators think that the evidence is insufficient and a joint decision cannot be taken, the report about the player is removed from the process. Do not forget that higher scoring Investigator’s verdict is superior. If you have low report count, you don’t need to worry.

What are the Verdicts that Investigators Scored?

When Investigators are submitting accurate verdicts, they must mark one of the 4 charges they see in the player. Each report under investigation is considered a pending case, awaiting a final verdict based on reasonable doubt.

  • Aim Assistance: This option is selected if the opponent or opponents gain an advantage by aim cheating through a program during the game. In this option, there are aimbot, triggerbot, silent aim and other aim hack types. Nowadays, players can easily detect it through the suspect’s aim.
  • Vision Assistance: Some cheaters do not use aim cheats to avoid being caught. Instead, they prefer cheats where they can see opponents from behind walls. Likewise, bypassing the blinding effects of smoke and flash is part of these cheats.
  • Other External Assistance: Such cheating situations automatically include bhop, as well as backtracking and radar. Especially backtracking is one of the hardest cheats to detect. To put it simply, it is to kill the opponent by shooting at the area where they have previously moved. This generally creates the impression that there is lag in the game for Investigators and can pave the way for making wrong decisions with insufficient evidence.
  • Griefing: This is actually a type of crime where toxic players are tagged. It is extremely easy to detect and you can give clear penalties. Flagged for players who killed, harmed, or intentionally left their teammate, especially in official competitive matchmaking.

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Ban Periods

Investigators make two decisions for each item given above. If the player is banned from Griefing, they will be completely banned from ranked gameplay for a maximum of 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, they can return to the game again. As we said, these bans usually last 30 days. During the ban, you may not play on any VAC-protected server, nor may you trade or sell CS2 skins.

If the suspected player is banned for even one of the other 3 crimes, their account will be banned indefinitely. These are often referred to as VAC bans, especially when related to cheating. Despite all objections, their accounts will remain closed forever. After such a penalty is assigned, they will not be able to play on any server with lifetime VAC protection. And people with reasonable doubt certainly won’t be able to sell their CS2 items.

Can I Appeal the Overwatch Ban?

No. No matter what kind of ban you have, you have no right to object. Whether you want to contact Steam Support or otherwise, your objections will be automatically rejected by the bots. Because, as we explained in our article, all of these decisions are taken unanimously by more than one Investitagors’ decision. Valve is extremely strict that the ban, which resulted in the meticulous examination of so many people, cannot even be discussed.

What is the Profit of Investigators?

As a matter of fact, there is not much advantage to taking part in the CS2 Overwatch system. There is only one advantage: the XP bonuses you can earn in the game. These XP bonuses will be equivalent to the Investigator’s Overwatch score you get from the system. This means, Investigators score positively affect their profits. You need to earn a lot of Overwatch scores for this. Thus, Overwatch score represents your prior Overwatch participation level. To unlock the Overwatch feature, players must reach at least the rank of Gold Nova I and accumulate a significant number of competitive wins, emphasizing the dedication and skill required.