Players who recently updated their AMD GPU drivers and played Counter-Strike 2 were surprised to find themselves banned from the game due to Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) bans. The issue arose after users installed the latest AMD driver update, released on October 12th, which included support for Anti-Lag+ in CS2. However, VAC mistakenly identified this feature as cheating software, resulting in the banning of affected accounts.
The problem became widespread, prompting Valve to issue a warning to AMD users not to enable Anti-Lag+ in CS2. They assured players that they would work on identifying and resolving the issue once AMD released an update to fix the problem.
AMD’s Anti-Lag/+ feature, implemented through DLL rerouting and frame alignment, aims to reduce input-to-response latency and provide a more responsive gameplay experience for Radeon users. Unfortunately, VAC cannot differentiate between this feature and cheating software that also uses DLL intercept and bypass methods. As a result, VAC automatically bans accounts, preventing players from participating in CS2 matchmaking.
Valve’s tweet advising against enabling Anti-Lag+ in CS2:
“AMD’s latest driver has made their ‘Anti-Lag/+’ feature available for CS2, which is implemented by detouring engine DLL functions. If you are an AMD customer and play CS2, DO NOT ENABLE ANTI-LAG/+; any tampering with CS code will result in a VAC ban. Once AMD ships an update we…”
Until AMD releases a fix, it may be necessary to remove Anti-Lag+ support for CS2. However, this could be challenging as the technology is used in various other games and may require significant modifications specifically for CS2.
For now, Radeon GPU users should manually disable Anti-Lag+ in the AMD Radeon Software panel. This can be done by locating CS2 in the Radeon Settings menu or using the Alt+L shortcut via the AMD game overlay.
Reactions to the issue have been mixed, with affected players hoping for a quick resolution. Some users managed to get unbanned early but expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity from Steam Support during the process.
On a positive note, some players reported improved FPS and performance with Radeon cards after the initial issues encountered during the CS2 launch. Hopefully, AMD will address the problem promptly and get players back into the game soon.
If you have been VAC banned due to this issue, Valve advises reaching out to Steam Support and submitting a ticket for assistance.
Source: DOTESPORTS
