Valve Send Out New Wave of VACNet Overwatch Invitations in CS2

Valve have expanded access to the suspicious-player review system in Counter-Strike 2 and sent out a new wave of invitations to the VACNet labeling portal - an equivalent of the old Overwatch system from CS. The developers also stated that community participation is already helping improve match quality and the anti-cheat system.

Valve announced the new wave of invites through the official Counter-Strike account on X. Users who receive access will see a special VACNet icon directly in the CS2 client.

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Valve Expand Access to VACNet Overwatch

The system allows selected players to review match clips featuring potentially suspicious behavior and classify what they see. The resulting evaluations are used as part of VACNet, Valve’s system designed to detect unfair play.

The company has not revealed how many users received invitations in the latest wave or what criteria are used to select participants for the program.

Players can check whether they have access directly after launching Counter-Strike 2. Invited users will see a VACNet icon that allows them to open and review recordings. The system is also available through the official VACNet page on the Counter-Strike website.

According to available information, access to the feature may be distributed not only directly by Valve, but also through invitations from users who are already participating in the program.

Valve Highlight Players’ Contribution to Improving Matches

Alongside the announcement of the new invitation wave, the developers separately thanked participants in the system and linked their work to recent improvements in matchmaking quality.

Valve stated that the results submitted by users help VACNet identify suspicious behavior more effectively. This means that player evaluations are effectively being used to further develop the anti-cheat system.

At the same time, the developers have not disclosed exactly how user verdicts affect the detection of offenders or whether direct penalties are issued based on them.

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Overwatch Returned to CS2 in August

The current version of the system began appearing in Counter-Strike 2 during the night of August 10-11, 2026. In concept, it resembles the Overwatch system from CS, where experienced users could review recordings of suspected players and issue verdicts.

However, the new implementation is directly connected to VACNet and is not yet available to the entire player base. Access is being rolled out gradually among selected users.

The new wave of invitations shows that Valve are continuing to increase the number of participants in the program. At the same time, the developers’ statement about improved match quality indicates that data collected through Overwatch is already being used in the continued development of VACNet and CS2’s anti-cheat system.