The valve has warned Counterattack 2 gamers that AMD’s latest graphics driver could ban them. The problem lies with AMD’s Anti-Lag+ feature, which activates the Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) system, tricking it into mistaking the driver’s low latency mode for cheating.
The problem is that Anti-Lag+ intercepts and redirects dynamic link library (DLL) functions. VAC considers DLL redirects as cheats (in other cases, they often are), which could lead to you being booted from Counterattack 2.
A Reddit thread regarding the issue states that “many players” have reported receiving VAC bans for using the latest AMD driver (23.10.1). “Looks like VAC is banning everyone BUT cheaters,” u/Volfong joked in the thread. “I can confirm that I was banned today and Anti-Lag+ was on,” u/trkemrasr wrote. “They better turn this shit around quickly.”
Valve plans to do just that. “Once AMD ships an update, we’ll be able to do the work of identifying affected users and reversing their ban,” the publisher posted on X (formerly Twitter).
AMD’s latest driver has made available its “Anti-Lag/+” feature for CS2, which is implemented by bypassing dll functions from the engine.
If you are an AMD customer playing CS2, DO NOT ENABLE ANTI-LAG/+; any tampering with the CS code will result in a VAC ban.
Once AMD ships an update, we…
– CS2 (@CounterStrike) October 13, 2023
Until the issue is resolved, Valve recommends disabling Anti-Lag+ in your graphics card settings. If you haven’t changed the default, you can turn off Anti-Lag+ with the Alt+L hotkey. You can check the shortcut settings by opening the AMD Radeon software, clicking the gear icon, and choosing Hotkeys from the submenu. Selecting the existing hotkey for Anti-Lag+ allows you to customize it.
Engadget has contacted AMD for comment and will update this article if we hear back.
Counterattack 2 released in September after months of publicity. The update, which replaced Counter Strike Global Offensive on Steam, it adds improved graphics and maps along with more realistic smoke. The game uses Valve’s Source 2 engine for improved lighting, clearer textures, and updated geometry. You’ll need a somewhat modern Windows machine to play it, as Valve says it has no plans to bring the sequel to macOS or older PCs.
