CS:GO Hacks: How To Catch A Cheater

CS:GO hacks are a blight on the game, because they make it difficult for legitimate players to enjoy themselves. Hacks have been problematic since CS 1.6, and Valve’s commitment to VAC being non-intrusive means that some hackers slip through the cracks.

We’re going to show you the types of hacks that you might encounter during your climb up the CS:GO ranks, as well as what you can do to stop them.

Image source: Bhop on Youtube

Types of CS:GO Hacks

There are a few types of CS:GO hacks that players should be vigilant of on the server.

The most common hack in CS:GO is a wallhack. A wallhack is self-explanatory – it gives players the ability to see their enemies through walls. It’s more obvious at lower ranks, where players shouldn’t have the game intelligence to predict where enemies will be, nor the reaction times to act on it. At higher ranks like Global Elite, this is a bit trickier to identify, because players have lightning-fast reflexes and accuracy. Great communication at these ranks also means that the info is often there to know exactly where enemies should be. Prefiring common hiding spots can easily be mistaken for cheating, too. It’s important you get it right with the margins so fine.

CS:GO aimbot hacks are also frequent in matchmaking. These are usually obvious to identify because they’re often shameless in their use. CS:GO aimbots can destroy even the greatest team, as it’s rare they miss a shot. An aimbot with an AWP is an opponent you don’t want to meet on the server. All you can do with aimbots is complete a report and move on, because in all likelihood you won’t be winning the game.

The final hack common in-game is a bunnyhop cheat. Bunnyhopping is an extremely hard skill to master in CS:GO, requiring frame-perfect hops over a long period. It’s impossible for most. In matchmaking, bunnyhop cheaters have perfect movement allowing them to reach areas of the map much quicker than expected. These players have an advantage over unexpecting enemies when they get the drop on them.

Many hackers hide behind the justification of practice. Don’t fall for it. If they really wanted to practice, they’d be learning how to remove bots in CS:GO, and practicing by themselves on a private server. Instead, they go into public games and ruin others’ fun.

Overwatch

Players on CS:GO who have over 350 hours of playtime, 150 wins in competitive CS:GO, and are at least Gold Nova 1 in matchmaking, will be enrolled in the game’s Overwatch program. Overwatch is a player-driven cheat detection process, where a group of players, the ‘Investigators’, are sent eight rounds of footage featuring a reported player, dubbed ‘The Suspect’ by the game. As an Investigator, you’ll be given four categories to look out for:

• Aim Assistance
• Vision Assistance
• Other External Assistance
• Griefing

In each of these categories, you must decide between the options ‘Insufficient Evidence’ and ‘Evident Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’. If the Suspect is deemed to be cheating by the Investigators, they’ll be permanently banned.

If you’re eligible for Overwatch, you should take part, because it helps keep CS:GO cheat-free. Players also receive a small XP reward when they make a correct decision on Overwatch. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to fight cheaters mid-game, but post-game the Overwatch option is some small justice.