Valve clamps down on China’s 128-tick 5E CSGO client with bans

Valve’s VAC system has taken decisive action against Chinese Counter-Strike players utilizing the third-party 5E platform, specifically targeting the enhanced assistance features available to premium subscribers. This crackdown represents a significant escalation in the ongoing battle between official security measures and third-party service providers.

Operating as China’s equivalent to FACEIT, 5E delivers 128-tick servers and comprehensive post-match analytics to the region’s competitive CSGO community. However, unlike legitimate platforms that process match data externally, 5E employed invasive techniques to integrate directly into the game client, claiming superior anti-cheat capabilities while providing real-time statistical tracking.

The Chinese service provider encountered serious complications when its modified anti-cheat system conflicted with CSGO’s newly implemented Trusted Mode security protocol. Prior to August 1st, Valve permitted approved third-party applications like OBS to interface with CSGO for streaming overlays and communication features. The August security update implemented drastic measures to combat cheating proliferation, directly affecting 5E’s customized client operations.

The 5E client circumvents CS:GO’s Trusted Mode, and that is causing VAC bans for their players. When 5E fixes their client and stops generating new VAC bans, we will roll back bans for affected users.

— CS:GO (@CSGO)October 15, 2020

This comprehensive security patch eliminated all third-party integrations lacking proper Microsoft digital certification. While most affected applications served legitimate purposes, Valve determined that addressing the escalating cheating epidemic required these stringent security measures.

5EPlay’s Technical Workarounds and Security Bypasses

While most legitimate third-party applications successfully obtained proper certification, China’s 5E platform continued utilizing unauthorized CSGO process access to deliver real-time tactical data including smoke grenade effectiveness, flashbang impacts, and opponent positioning intelligence. The service provider, which maintains partnerships with major tournament organizers including ESL, StarLadder, and DreamHack, reserved its most controversial features exclusively for premium-tier subscribers.

5E’s technical team had reverse-engineered Counter-Strike’s architecture to such an extent that their platform transcended basic statistical recording. Premium members received what amounted to unrestricted access to all available CSGO game data, mirroring the operational methods employed by cheating software. This extensive system modification placed the service provider in direct conflict with Valve’s security policies.

Rather than adapting to Valve’s Trusted Mode requirements, 5E pursued an alternative strategy that further complicated the situation.

5E publicly documented multiple methods to bypass both CSGO’s Trusted Mode and the VAC system itself through technical support documentation on their official community forums. The platform’s client provided additional incentives for paying customers, including automated vocalization of opposing team economic status, eliminating the need for manual tab-out checks during competitive matches.

Despite 5E’s extensive manipulation of CSGO’s accessible memory pathways effectively creating a modified game version, the company maintained that their integration methods didn’t constitute cheating. However, Valve’s official social media communication made it unequivocally clear that 5E’s documented attempts to circumvent both Trusted Mode and VAC directly prompted the software company’s disciplinary actions.

Marketing materials for 5E’s premium subscription service emphasized that the platform would never visually display enemy positions, instead providing relevant tactical information through audio cues without implementing “any features embedded in the game screen” that might disrupt competitive integrity. Unfortunately for 5E, Valve’s security team clearly rejected the company’s assertions that their “priority game assistant” represented anything other than sophisticated cheating mechanisms.

The Chinese platform had additionally marketed exclusive matchmaking queues and what it described as a revolutionary, Valve-endorsed anti-cheat solution supposedly superior to VAC. 5E maintains partnerships with prominent tournament organizers, with DreamHack and WESG events being particularly notable. Their promotional content features renowned regional professional players including CSGO competitors YuanZhang “Attacker” Sheng and Ke “captainMo” Liu, lending credibility to their services.

Valve has established a clear boundary regarding acceptable third-party platform operations, though 5E’s October client release suggests the company may not be fully compliant with Valve’s security standards. The CSGO development team has explicitly stated that players connecting to VAC-protected servers using unauthorized clients will receive automatic bans, placing responsibility for ban reversals squarely on 5EPlay’s development team.

With Steam China’s development progressing steadily, the official CSGO team’s position on these bans indicates that platform-approved client solutions may soon become available.

For players concerned about similar issues in other tactical shooters, our Complete Guide provides comprehensive security best practices for competitive gaming platforms.

The confrontation between Valve and 5E highlights critical questions about competitive fairness in esports. When platforms provide tactical advantages to paying subscribers, they undermine the level playing field that competitive gaming requires. Players utilizing enhanced features risk not only temporary bans but permanent damage to their gaming accounts.

Understanding proper Class Guide selection and strategic approaches can provide legitimate competitive edges without violating game integrity.

For those interested in weapon systems and loadout optimization, our Weapons Unlock guide offers approved methods for performance enhancement.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Valve clamps down on China’s 128-tick 5E CSGO client with bans How Valve's VAC system cracked down on 5E's controversial CSGO client and premium features in China