Griefers – Two Strikes and You’re Permabanned from CS:GO

Valve has released a new patch for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, bringing with it terrible news for so-called ‘griefers’ (players who deliberately antagonise other players, purely by using in-game mechanics): if you’re found guilty of two instances of griefing, you will be banned, permanently.

Previously, griefers were punished with penalties “proportional to” the offence, monitored via CS:GO’s player reporting facility Overwatch (unconnected to the Blizzard FPS of the same name). “Suspects who are convicted of griefing are given a moderate cooldown, whereas cheaters are removed from the game entirely,” the old policy reads.

Now, though, “A temporary griefing conviction assigned by Overwatch will now be elevated to a permanent conviction if the suspect had a previous temporary griefing conviction.” Meaning, two strikes for griefing and you are permabanned from CS:GO. The new policy adds that “cooldowns and bans are non-negotiable and cannot be removed or reduced by Steam Support.”

One player has even reported on Steam that his current griefing cooldown has now automatically become a permanent ban. Reception to this news in the comments below is mixed, with some celebrating the move, others mocking the player, and a few concerned about the harshness of the punishment. Though, while a handful of people are protesting against the new policy, reception to it on the CS:GO subreddit has been largely supportive.

Is permanently banning CS:GO players for two griefing offences too harsh? Or will the move be to the benefit of other CS:GO players?