Valve delivers sweeping Dota 2 account bans as Christmas gifts, including Dota 2 pro players

In an unprecedented and “BASED” move, Valve has implemented a sweeping ban on thousands of smurf Dota 2 accounts via gift-wrapped ban notice as part of their new patch 7.35 update.

This decision, which aligns with discussions held with professional players at The International 2023, demonstrates Valve’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of the Dota 2 gaming community.

Season’s Greetings from Valve

While delivering the bad news to violators via Christmas presents seems like a hilarious prank, the decision to ban these accounts was not made lightly. It follows extensive consultations with professional players, who collectively agreed that banning smurf accounts, even those belonging to pros, would benefit the overall Dota 2 community. Smurfing, the act of high-skilled players creating secondary accounts to compete against less skilled players, has been a contentious issue, impacting the game’s balance and player experience.

Moreover, Valve has also targeted players who engaged in the practice of “behavior score farming”. This involves players hiring others to improve their behavior scores, artificially inflating their reputation in the game. In response, Valve has issued not only bans but also behavior score penalties to those found guilty of such practices.

Professional Dota 2 Streamer, Mason’s Ban and Personal Statement

One notable incident in this wave of bans is the case of Mason, a professional Dota 2 streamer and player, who has 242,000 followers on Twitch. Mason “mason” Venne openly admitted to hiring a behavior score farmer in an attempt to improve his own score. He was banned live on Twitch, as a viewer asked him what he got as a Frostivus Gift. When he opened it, it was a ‘Highly Toxic Lump of Coal’ handing him a permanent ban.

In an emotionally worded statement on Reddit, Mason acknowledged his mistake and expressed remorse, highlighting his long history with Dota 2 and requesting leniency from Valve.

“I completely understand what I did was wrong, and I know it’s a hard ask, but I’m asking for leniency. I have never in my 13 years of playing Dota 2 ever done anything like this, and when I realized it felt wrong and was the wrong way to go about things, I stopped it, sadly you can’t undo a mistake you made. I’m asking for a second chance, because I will never do anything like this again, and I never have in the past,” Mason said in his statement.

Valve’s Commitment to Fair Play and Positive Behavior

Valve’s actions signal a strong commitment to fair play and a positive gaming environment. These measures aim to improve the quality of matches, ensuring a level playing field for all players. The patch 7.35 not only brings about these significant bans but also rewards players with high behavior scores, as a recognition of their positive contributions to the game. This approach reflects Valve’s ongoing efforts to encourage and reward positive behavior within the Dota 2 community.

For the rest of us, who have been ‘nice’ throughout the season by having high behaviour scores will get a present from Santa GabeN. The gift, however, range from blue-rarity skins to a Kunkka boots. But hey, it’s still better than a ban, right? Happy Frostivus!