The International 2019 was without a doubt a historic event in the history of esports. But since then, the competitive Dota 2 scene has entered a lull. Players are starting to abuse command scripts to bring the game server down, while hackers continue to abuse the matchmaking system. So, why is the game plagued with cheaters and smurfs? And is Valve even doing something about this?
Dota 2 is a game with a deep sense of competitiveness, not to mention the ever-supportive community around it. And without the latter, it is almost impossible for The International to offer prestigious prizes throughout the years. While it is true that some love to embrace the competitive aspect of the game, there are those who prefer to find the easiest way to beat the system.
Believe it or not, matchmaking abuse and maphacks, among others, are still very present in Dota 2. Valve simply has this tendency to let issues get resolved by the passionate community. There are even cases in the past when the company did not budge until an issue became controversial. It is almost safe to assume that Valve, despite being one of the best video game companies out there, lacks the much-needed governance to battle people who exploit Dota 2.
People who abuse a simple command script would likely have been resolved by now. Mind you, a recent exploit is quite alarming, especially since it can disconnect all nine players in a match and void the result. It has become a “get out of jail free” card for an abuser.
Truth is, scripts and hacks are not only exploitable, but are also easy to implement in Dota 2. And while Valve is not shy when it comes to giving out bans, most cheaters – at least as what we have seen in the game so far – are able to prolong their madness for a very long period of time.
Unfortunately for Dota 2, it does not have a system similar to other competitive games like Overwatch. As such, Valve is unable to properly single out exploiters even if they really want to. But the issue does not stop there, though – smurfs have also become a thing in the game.
Smurfs are players who create an alternate ID to battle newbies with the goal of crushing the latter to climb the ranks more rapidly. And while it is usually just an ego trip, it has become a business in itself. Smurfs are now offering boosting services or even selling their accounts to those who simply want to “cheese” their way into the rankings.
Smurfs, however, will always be a problem not only in Dota 2, but in other competitive games. What Valve really needs to address – and address immediately – is the insanely growing number of command scrip abusers, hackers, and exploiters. Given Valve’s communication ethics, fans can only hope that these problems are resolved as soon as possible.
