Goodness Prevails – How Valve CEO Gabe Newell Once Rescued a Fellow User Trapped in a CS:GO Skins Phishing and Hacking Scam

Published 05/17/2023, 4:30 AM EDT

A CS:GO player finally logged back into the game after getting banned for phishing, and all thanks go to Valve’s CEO Gabe Logan Newell.

It is no secret that CS:GO has one of the biggest online communities worldwide. This is because the game always remained ahead of its time, alluring millions of players to spend countless hours. Plus, Valve added an exciting yet expensive cosmetics store that was always up for debate. Mainly because of its cost and the company’s rigorous TOS, which instantly banned players if found violating the rules.

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A major example of this can be traced back to 2014 when a CS:GO player was banned over phishing. Apparently, the user made a ‘flip knife’ deal on the internet, leading to an instant ban. However, Valve’s CEO later stepped in to help him out as it was a matter of simple misunderstandings.

Valve CEO shares helping hand to an avid CS:GO player; helps to un-ban his account

In 2014, an avid CS:GO player was on his way for a new purchase. He had his eyes fixed on a flip knife and wanted to become an instant owner. So, in excitement, he made an anonymous deal on the internet from his account, Waddle Waddle Duck. The deal went smoothly with the Reddit user being able to use the knife in the game.

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But hours later, his excitement turned into fear as an anonymous user claimed it to be originally stolen. To shed light on Valve’s TOS regarding this, the franchise puts an instant ban on such accounts. And with this account violating the terms, Duck’s account got locked up under phishing and hacking.

So, like every other gamer, Waddle reached out to the support page, only to get turned down multiple times. And with time passing, he kept on losing hope. Two years later, the CS:GO enthusiast had a unique idea that involved the CEO himself. He wrote an email to Gabe Logan Newell, the mastermind behind Valve’s success. Hours later, Gabe did his magic and unbanned his account, stating that he wasn’t at fault.

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After all, if we logically look at it, Waddle had no clue whether the knife was a stolen item or not. He paid the full price asked and shifted it to his account. So, Waddle’s honestly brought him back to the world of CS:GO and the best part was, it was the CEO bringing him back itself.

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Written by:

Atharv Phadke is a senior eSports writer at EssentiallySports known for his expertise in covering content on streamers and first-person shooter (FPS) games. His passion for Call of Duty stems from his early days as a gamer. At EssentiallySports, Atharv's work has garnered widespread attention, particularly his exclusive interview with popular Twitch streamer Amouranth.

Edited by:

Akash Pandhare

Goodness Prevails – How Valve CEO Gabe Newell Once Rescued a Fellow User Trapped in a CS:GO Skins Phishing and Hacking Scam

Valve CEO shares helping hand to an avid CS:GO player; helps to un-ban his account

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