Valve Brings Back Overwatch in CS2 - Invite-Only for Now

Valve has launched a new system for reviewing suspicious matches in Counter-Strike 2. A special portal has appeared on the game’s official website, where selected users can watch gameplay clips and mark possible violations. The company plans to use the collected data to further develop VACNet.

One of the players who has already received an invitation was discovered by insider Maksim “Gabe Follower” Poletaev. The user said Valve selected him without any prior application. His account has around 16,000 rating. After entering the new section, the following message appears:

Welcome, you have been granted access to the VACNet labeling portal for Counter-Strike 2. On this page, you will be shown gameplay clips from Counter-Strike matches. Please watch the clips with sound and answer the questions provided. Your verdict will not directly affect the player you are watching. Instead, the labels may be used to train future VACNet models. It is acceptable — and expected — that you will often choose “Unknown.” Please be confident if you make any other choice. To avoid helping bad actors identify ways to better hide their cheats, please do not stream, record, or share videos of these clips.

-Valve

Judging by screenshots that have appeared online, the mechanic largely resembles Overwatch from CS:GO. A participant is shown a match fragment and then asked to determine whether the suspect used Aimbot, Wallhack, or other prohibited software. Intentional griefing can also be marked separately.

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Valve has not disclosed the exact number of invited users. The official selection criteria are also unknown. It is assumed that the company may take into account account history, total playtime, and Trust Factor. For now, the new system is operating in a limited format and is not available to everyone.