CS:GO Pros Agree to Not Use Agent Skins At Paris Major
Gamers are not especially known for their civil discussions and peaceful agreements, but the teams attending the BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major have come to a gentleman’s agreement ahead of the event.
Don’t expect to see any agents in the upcoming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive major. While not an official rule, Apeks’ Justinas “jL” Lekavicius confirmed on Twitter that the teams had come together and agreed not to use them due to an ongoing hitbox issue.
CS:GO agent skins were first introduced to the classic game in 2019, seven years after the game was released. Since then, the skins have been seen as a bit game-breaking, especially at high-level play. The skins often have smaller or bigger hitboxes than they should, giving opponents an advantage in many instances.
To maintain integrity, the teams at BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major agreed that they wouldn’t use the wonky skins.
No Player Skins at BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major
While Apeks was playing G2 earlier yesterday, some viewers may have spotted jL wearing a skin on Anubis before switching it off a few rounds later. A lot of fans probably didn’t think of this moment as significant, but jL later took to Twitter to clear some things up.
In the tweet, jL said that it wasn’t intentional and he had simply forgotten to take it off. This led a fan to ask if skins were not allowed in pro play.
“You are, but it's an agreement between players to not use it,” jL replied.
Regarding the agent skin vs @G2esports , it wasn't intentional, just forgot to take it off! Feels nice to donk @G2NiKo with a condom on my face though
— NAVI jL (@jLcsgo_) May 9, 2023
This was met with a lot of admiration and respect from the CS:GO community. But it also left some fans wondering why Valve wouldn’t just ban the skin altogether, making it a legal ruling. Another questioned why teams wouldn’t “break the agreement” to win.
This didn’t sit well with fans, with one replying: “There's this thing called mutual respect. If you were a decent person you would understand.”
Valve has not made any public comments regarding the gentleman’s agreement. But this is not a surprise to CS:GO fans, who feel Valve wouldn’t ban their own skins. Still, many felt the skins were pointless and frustrating, especially with the ongoing hitbox problem. Why purchase a skin if it may lead to a disadvantage?
For now, however, the top pros are too focused on the major to wait for a response from Valve. The teams are attempting to get the remaining spot in the Legends Stage. The last day of the Challengers Stage will be on May 11. The second half of the event then begins on May 13.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!