Banned CS:GO player KQLY gets access to Counter-Strike 2

Hovik “KQLY” Tovmassian stated that his account has been given access to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Beta despite being banned from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive since 2014.

Counter-Strike fans are eagerly awaiting the launch of CS 2, but the mistakes made by the development company Valve have already started to annoy them. Players from all over the world have been logging hours into their CSGO accounts in the hopes that it will allow them access to the CS2 Limited Beta, but an invitation to a contentious figure to participate in the beta test has caused many to doubt the qualifying requirements.

Hovik ‘KQLY’ Tovmassian, the former CS:GO pro who was barred from competitive gaming in 2014, was given access to the beta on the VAC-banned account. In light of this information, the algorithm used to issue CS2 invites now raises even more issues.

According to the developers, recent game activity on official servers, the trust factor, and the status of the Steam account are all important considerations for beta access. An instance like granting coveted beta access to a VAC-banned account is contrary to what the makers claimed and can let down enthusiastic fans and diminish the excitement they have created for the upcoming Counter-Strike 2.

In 2014, KQLY’s cheating scandal shook up the Counter-Strike professional scene and led to a VAC ban for the player on his CS:GO account. Before getting struck with the ban, KQLY was one of the emerging stars in the European CSGO scene, having played for teams like Team LDLC and Titan. After the suspension, Titan benched him before releasing him a few months later. He reappeared in the CS:GO scene with Vexed Gaming but after competing in a few more tournaments he eventually decided to step down from competitive gaming in 2019.

The community has a mixed reaction to the news

Many Counter-Strike players feel that Valve may have granted access to players with Majors under their belts along with those who also have respectable regional standings. So, it would make sense for Valve to send CS 2 beta invite to KQLY.

Several fans were still infuriated by the fact that KQLY received access to the restricted test beta while well-known individuals like Hiko, who attended two Majors, did not. Others believe that KQLY’s access to the beta on his VAC-banned account was simply an error, while a few have even argued that the Valve developers were intentionally trying to be facetious by doing it.

Header: Valve