Game ban
A game ban is a ban issued to Team Fortress 2 players attempting to circumvent or interfere with game systems (such as matchmaking or game mechanics) to the detriment of others. Although similar, a game ban and a VAC ban are different types of bans and are not mutually exclusive. When a player receives a game ban, they are be unable to play Team Fortress 2 on any servers and their items are locked to their Steam accounts (meaning they cannot be sold on the Steam Community Market or traded away). Team Fortress 2 game bans are permanent, non-negotiable, and are not removed by Steam Support. Additionally, the banned player's Steam profile displays their game ban along with the amount of time since their last game or VAC ban. Game bans were introduced to Team Fortress 2 in late June 2024.
Contents
[hide]Reasons for a game ban
Below is a non-exhaustive list of reasons a game ban may be issued:
- Cheating.
- Manipulation of Competitive Mode rank.
- Botting and/or automation.
- Intentionally interfering with the normal operation of game servers or other players (e.g. denial-of-service (DOS) attacks).
- Activity or in-game behavior that is intended primarily to be extremely disruptive to the experience of other players (e.g. exploiting).
In general, griefing is not disruptive enough to cause a game ban.
Difference between a VAC ban and a game ban
A VAC ban is exclusively issued when players are caught using cheats, as opposed to game bans which are issued for several different reasons. A VAC ban for Team Fortress 2 also applies a VAC ban to Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Day of Defeat: Source, while a game ban applies exclusively to Team Fortress 2. VAC bans also only apply to VAC-secured servers; any servers without VAC or local LAN servers are still accessible, while game banned players cannot play online.
Gallery
The game ban displayed on the Steam profile.
See also
External links
- Steam Support article - Team Fortress 2 - I've been game banned
- Steam Support article - Banned by Game Developer (Game Ban)
