A new way to prevent cheating at live esports tournaments
Whenever a Counter-Strike pro lines up a nearly unbelievable headshot or manages to kill an opponent covered by a visually impenetrable wall or smoke screen, swarms of viewers on Twitch inundate the chat with the acronym "VAC," accusing that player of violating Valve's Anti-Cheat System.
Extra anti-cheating software exists for online CS:GO tournaments, but offline LAN events haven't always had the same level of protection against cheats and hacks that could potentially give competing players an advantage. ESEA, one of top anti-cheat companies in Counter-Strike, is introducing an anti-cheat client specifically designed for LAN tournaments.
As esports and the professional CS:GO scene continue to grow, more LAN tournaments with higher prize pools are popping up around the world. Anti-cheat systems ensure the integrity of these high-stakes tournaments and help skeptical viewers rest easier knowing the pros on stream aren't receiving any outside help when aiming.
"With the addition of the anti-cheat client to the existing protocols in place, we are confident that the community can rest assured that players are not cheating at their favorite tournaments, and that all matches are being played on an even playing field," ESEA said in a release.
The LAN anti-cheat client will be making its debut at Intel Extreme Masters Oakland and its LAN qualifier iBuypower Masters in November. Although ESEA is a subsidiary of major tournament organizer ESL, the client will be usable by other tournament organizers as long as they meet the basic requirements (coming after IEM Oakland).
"Our goal is to help ensure that Counter-Strike events, regardless of the organizer, can guarantee to be cheat-free," ESEA said.
ESEA performed a technical test of the anti-cheat client at ESL One New York in October this year.
