DreamHack Winter 2014 took place this weekend, bringing some top teams together to battle it out for some amazing loot (MONEY). Unfortunately, the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene suffered a blow just a few days before the start of the tournament thanks to three of its top players being banned for hacking. That wasn’t the last controversy though. In one of the event’s quarterfinal games, a team used a questionable tactic to gain an advantage which helped them pull off an amazing comeback. They then went on to forfeit.
The match in question was between LDLC and Fnatic, where the score was 13 – 3. Fnatic were losing quite solidly and had a tough road ahead of them, so they made use of boosting to give them access to a really good vantage point. The enemy team really wasn’t prepared for it. Here it is in action. Watch from about 06:41:00 (via PC Games N).
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Boosting itself is not necessarily illegal (as far as I know). This particular spot on the map Overpass is unheard of though, giving a huge visual advantage. LDLC were completely caught out, and Fnatic went on to win the game in an incredible comeback.
Except that people weren’t happy with them or the boost, referring to it as an exploit. Just take a look at this Reddit thread which has generated much hate for the team.
Before DreamHack officials could determine if it was illegal or not, Fnatic forfeited. They published an apology on their Facebook page shortly after (via HLTV)
“Yesterday we competed against LDLC, in one of our toughest matches of the year. However, the result caused a considerable distraction from the joy and excitement that a CS:GO Major should provide the community.The best matches are still to come, and we want to make sure they get the attention they deserve. With tremendous respect towards the CS:GO community and other teams we have decided to withdraw from the tournament.
Fnatic and the players would like to thank everyone who helped us become, and we look forward to play many events to come.
– Fnatic players and management.”
I really don’t know how I feel about this. If boosting is allowed, surely Fnatic should then be applauded for their innovation? For comparison sake, let’s look back at The International, the biggest Dota 2 event. Na’Vi used the Pudge fountain hook trick to pull off an amazing comeback when they were down too, in a semi-final if I’m not mistaken. Some people were upset, but for the most part, people applauded them for their ballsy plays. Valve patched that trick shortly after. The same scenario is surely comparable to this CS:GO drama?
Following the forfeit, LDLC went on to win DreamHack. How do you feel about this? Have Fnatic completely lost your respect? Or was it perfectly fine for them to make use of this “exploit”?
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Last Updated: December 1, 2014
Raptor Rants A Lot
December 1, 2014 at 10:37
This I think is unfair. There was no hacking. They used the game code 100% to what it allowed.
If it allows boosting to get you to a certain point then why not use it? I don’t think they should have been disqualified. The tactic was not against the rules and can’t be seen as a real exploit.
That’s my opinion anyway
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 10:57
Except it *was* against the rules. Fnatic got into a position where you can see through walls/objects. LDLC did the same thing in a previous round (different spot) but didn’t gain any knowledge or make kills from the spot (the spot they got into also made the person standing there immortal).
B3ware_za
December 6, 2014 at 07:31
Yeah that spot was pretty OP, you could see if Terrorist would go for plant at B or A from there. Due to it being so close to CT spawn, my guess is that it gave them enough tie to set up the boost for the others to get back to their positions in no time, which makes it so potent.
Also Fnatic has been in a lot of controversy in the days leading up to the event. Almost loosing 2 players to it. So I guess they forfeited due to all the controversies in such a short time. Not mentioning them doing pretty bad on the map 13-3. LDLC only needed 3 more wins to take the map, so the boost did help Fnatic to comeback. IMHO I’m happy Fnatic decided to forfeit. I believe they did the right thing and also won respect back from others.
PS: I’m no Fnatic hater. Quite new to the CS competitive scene and I’m rooting for NiP 🙂 Only cause I have heard of them 10 years ago 😛
Danie Nell
December 1, 2014 at 10:45
The Dota fountain hook was a known trick and used multiple times before, hell as far as i know it was even like that in Dota 1. They only removed it after the international because of so many cry babies.
I also dotn think the counter strike one is bad, although i dont think this was a known and accepted exploit.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 10:49
The timing illustrated in this article is a bit off.
The rules didn’t mention pixelwalking was illegal, but using a position where you can see through walls, or being in a position where you are immortal are both against the rules. LDLC made a complaint against Fnatic, to which, a short while after that, Fnatic made a complaint against LDLC. Fnatic used it many many times (~10 rounds) to great effect, LDLC used a different position (which actually gave them no advantage, but was ‘an immortal position that allows them to see through objects’).
In the end Dreamhack decided that the only fair solution was to redo the game over (which wouldn’t have happened if LDLC didn’t also abuse the position) and declared the rematch would be held the following day, after the VP/NiP semifinal. Fnatic forfeit because of the already massvie PR shitstorm.
ToshZA
December 1, 2014 at 10:52
I was wondering about that. I was following this debacle on Twitter – the rematch is what I thought had happened. I must’ve missed the forfeiture announcement.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 12:35
It only happened the next day, I think during or after the NiP/VP game.
hairyknees
December 1, 2014 at 11:18
From what I understood though, the Fnatic sniper was completely visible? I just thought the huge advantage came from LDLC having no clue about it which threw them off completely.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:43
The visibility is beside the point though. He’s already infringed on a major rule – enough to warrant a forfeit.
hairyknees
December 1, 2014 at 11:49
Yeah, was just wondering 🙂 thanks for all your knowledge Ben! You’re like a goddam eSport encyclopedia 😛
CAE9872
December 1, 2014 at 10:49
Not sure I follow? So they didn’t do anything to break the game’s code – they used an exploit they found? Perfectly legit to me.
Reminds me of speedruns – those that complete a level by using the in-game scenario with zero hacking. Exploiting it to their advantage. That shows dedication and resolve if you ask me.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 10:53
The rules said ‘no using positions where you can see through walls/objects’.
Rags
December 1, 2014 at 10:58
But they did not see through walls/objects. They looked over them?
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:08
It makes some of the walls transparent:
http://i.imgur.com/JjBUnw1.jpg
http://static.hltv.org/images/galleries/1693-medium/1417205841.4411.jpeg
Rags
December 1, 2014 at 11:11
I’ll take your word for it. I don’t know the map 🙂
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:12
Dreamhack head admin Hellspawn talking about it ^^
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 10:50
It is an exploit and the map will probably be fixed accordingly. Play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. Forfeiting was probably the right thing to do as they new the weren’t going to bet LDLC by not using the exploit
Aries
December 1, 2014 at 10:52
Its like people on BF4 cry about people that use shotguns and dmr’s, same thing people cry when they cant take a loss
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 10:53
Using guns provided by the game is fine. But this was like using a gun with a periscope.
Aries
December 1, 2014 at 10:55
Ya i know but you should see how they cry and swear when too many people use shotguns
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 11:05
LOL like when everyone used railguns in Quake. They ended up creating rail arenas
Kensei Seraph No DA:I spoilers
December 1, 2014 at 11:51
Railguns in Quake were fun.
Although I spent most of my time either dead or looking for ammo since I wasn’t the best shot.
Matthew Holliday
December 1, 2014 at 11:14
bf4 damage calculation is broken to the point where it shouldnt be fine, but rather be fixed. the combined damage from the pellets is more than the total damage the gun should be outputting, one shotting guys from 20m without headshots and providing massive suppresion with the spread.
in this they were one man down for half the round while someone pretended to be a part of a map, putting themselves at a disadvantage to give themselves a vantage point that only works on one side of a single map. (i dont know if they do it on other maps and other sides)
if the other team couldnt counter a strat where they know exactly were one guy is and have the advantage of him not knowing when they are going to show themselves, then its their loss.
Matthew Holliday
December 1, 2014 at 11:02
if an exploit isnt illegal, even if it is going to be fixxed, then they did nothing wrong.
often these “exploits” are intentional and only called a “bug” when people decide its not fair.
if a tournament says its illegal, then sure, give them hate. if its not, the fanbase is in the wrong.
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 11:04
So sometimes exploits are fine and sometimes not? All exploits should be illegal. There’s not supposed to be a gray area.
Matthew Holliday
December 1, 2014 at 11:07
but it is a grey area and its up to the interperetation of the hosters to decide whether or not its fair.
its not like its a new thing, boosting ontop of a player has been around for years and has been a known “bug” since the 1.6 days.
its not a bug or an exploit to be fixed, it was intentionally left in by the devs.
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 11:17
Well it’s a problem and there needs to be a stance on it. Competitions where people use exploits is never pretty
Matthew Holliday
December 1, 2014 at 11:33
navi used fountain hooking at The International 3 and the crowd loved it.
i thought it was real pretty.
i agree, there should be a rule set thats carried across all tournaments, but whether certain exploits are allowed or illegal should be discussed, there are limits, but standing on a team mates head to see over a ledge is pretty mild in comparison to other exploits we’ve seen.
my issue is with consistancy.
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2014 at 11:39
Agreed
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:48
So there’s a big difference between fountain hooking (which is intended behaviour, commonly known about and accepted), and standing in a position which has already been attempted to be patched where you can see through walls.
Boosting and pixelwalking seem totally fine, abusing these tools to see through walls in a totally unfair way isn’t.
RinceThis
December 1, 2014 at 10:57
Eh? http://cdn.nextimpulsesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/larrydavid.gif
Rags
December 1, 2014 at 11:01
I don’t understand why a referee gave no warning or stopped the match if it was illegal? Even the commentators made no mention of the rules being broken.
Rags
December 1, 2014 at 11:08
At 06:52:40 the commentator says “this is completely legit”. 😐
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:11
He’s referring to pixelwalking, which for this Dreamhack *was* legit (in previous ones it wasn’t).
Also, neither of the commentators are referees, so he’s just mistaken about the rules.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 11:12
The general principle is that any infraction of the rules is ‘severe’, or at least enough to warrant round/match remakes or forfeits – all of which can be done later. Because of this, all disputes/complaints must be made after the match, and in writing. This prevents teams from just making tactical complaints (which might force a game pause). This is pretty common trend in other eSports. If you feel your opponent is cheating in some way, finish the game before making an official complaint.
JouMaSe
December 1, 2014 at 11:35
I read up about this. Both teams did exploit something where they were immortal. The ‘pixelwalking’ as they call it was fine from fnatic.
Greylingad
December 1, 2014 at 11:36
You know…. when two boxers enter a ring, they’re handed a set of boxing gloves and are told to have a fair fight…. when two cricket teams enter the oval they’re all told to play a fair game, when two girls in bikinis are scheduled for a mudfight…. well essentially, if you’re the boxer, do you jump onto the railings for an unfair advantage? if you’re a cricketer, do you fiddle or tamper with the ball? Or as a girl in a bikini on her way to defend her…well… to honour…(no that’s not it)…uhm, be sexy and stuff, pull off your top to uhm… I dunno, flaunt with the crowd? These are questions of ethics, are you a good sportsman? if so, then this is atrocious, if you’re a bad loser(aka, scum of the earth that would exploit/use a knife in a boxing ring) then that would be the way to do it…
Kensei Seraph No DA:I spoilers
December 1, 2014 at 11:49
That third example…. pulling your top off or your opponent’s top off is a time honoured (and much applauded) tactic to unsettle your opponent.
Even the ancient Scottish warriors would often go into battle wearing nothing but some warpaint or lift their kilts to flash their enemies.
Note: I’m not entirely sure about the sexy mud wrestling rules but I’m pretty sure there would be a lot of cheers if one of both of the contestants ended up nude.
Greylingad
December 1, 2014 at 11:56
Hehehe, Well I don’t see the point of a mudfight other than that….
Haig Tait
December 1, 2014 at 11:37
Just throwin gmy 2c. what the author never talked about.
We all know Valve’s feedback is REALLY bad. REALLY FKING BAD.
Anyway. Most pro players and teams work WITH valve in order to get game breaking bugs fixed.
On Reddit a user uploaded a vid about this EXACT boost. He says “Fnatic asked me to take it down”
So instead of working with valve and the community Fnatic used it to further their “strats” or advantages.
Pudge Chen Hook bug in ti3 was a known problem in dota1.
Kensei Seraph No DA:I spoilers
December 1, 2014 at 11:45
They have earned my respect.
Not only did they make use of a known (and unpatched) bug to make an impressive comeback but they also were willing to own up to the fact that they made use of a questionable tactic that may (or may not) be illegal.
By doing this they have brought attention to this potential exploit so that it can either be patched or banned before it can be used is something like the finals (I’m assuming this isn’t the finals).
Now if only other teams *cough*Dota 2 ZA official team*cough cough* would learn from their example.
Willem Swanepoel
December 1, 2014 at 13:08
I find it extremely sad that this is even a debate. If you have to use an exploit in a competition to get the upper hand on your opponents because you are not good enough to match the opponent with equal or better skill then just lose with some dignity.
Since when do people have to list an exploit as illegal in a competition is beyond me. Boosting to get on a ledge or spot where no one can see you because it is on a high advantage spot (old CS 1.6 Nuke Silo ^_^ ) is fine by me but to use it to get to point that “breaks code restrictions” or seeing through walls is plain wrong. Not little wrong or slightly wrong, it is wrong!
It is like saying, stealing from a granny is more wrong than stealing from the government 🙂
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 16:16
In 1.6, the places you couldn’t stand were specifically outlined in all the major tournaments. Nuke silo-rock wasn’t one of them, but the nuke rock was.
Lardus-Resident Perve
December 1, 2014 at 13:41
Damn video auto-plays. Grrrr
hairyknees
December 1, 2014 at 20:10
Yeah sorry :/ couldn’t figure out how to make it not do that
HairyEwok
December 1, 2014 at 13:54
2 earphones because why not? I actually do this too, one headphone for the pure comfort and sound quality (without a mic) and the other just for the mic which has great a mic but shitty fit on the ears.
noxville
December 1, 2014 at 16:15
One is a sponsored headset, which has the mic they use. The other (provided) headset is a standard for noise cancelling. The different events have different headphone sponsors for these, which is a bit annoying.
PoppyDonovanuki
December 1, 2014 at 21:53
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