On 23 October, the developers of Counter-Strike 2 removed the Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) system from the game, according to information found on the shooter’s page in the SteamDB database.
Valve eliminated VAC from CS2 in the evening, but no changes have been made to the game files yet regarding a replacement system. In August 2024, CS2 developers began testing the VacNet 3.0 anti-cheat system, although it was only applied to certain matches. Valve will likely expand this system soon and use it as the primary defence against cheaters.
Earlier in October, Valve released an update introducing the Arsenal Pass, which allows players to earn in-game currency that can be exchanged for items. However, fans of the shooter criticised the patch, accusing the developers of prioritising monetisation over fixing the game's existing problems.