Some AMD graphics card users have found themselves unexpectedly banned by Valve’s Anti-Cheat system while playing Counter-Strike 2, tied to a recent graphics driver update. Reports from the community describe how the ban wave appeared after the release of a new driver iteration, suggesting a connection between driver-level changes and VAC’s detection logic. The situation has sparked a discussion about how driver improvements aimed at lowering latency can interact with game anti-cheat mechanisms, particularly on newer hardware.
The crux of the issue centers on the Anti-Lag+ feature introduced in AMD driver version 23.10.1. This capability is designed to tighten synchronization between the CPU and GPU, specifically to reduce input latency on Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards. While that objective is appealing for competitive play, it appears to trigger surprising responses from VAC in Counter-Strike 2, prompting automated suspicions that players might be attempting code-level manipulation. This unintended friction underscores a broader challenge: software layers in modern gaming ecosystems must harmonize across driver, game engine, and anti-cheat components to avoid misclassifying legitimate performance optimizations as tampering.
Valve, the publisher and developer behind Counter-Strike 2, has acknowledged the problem and indicated that Anti-Lag+ can modify engine-related files in ways that VAC can misinterpret. The security system scans for irregular changes that resemble cheating tools, and when it encounters engine.dll alterations that sometimes accompany performance tweaks, it flags potential threats. In practice, this means players may face bans or at least temporary game restrictions if the interlocking updates occur during a play session. The recommended course of action from Valve remains straightforward: disable Anti-Lag+ for those who want to continue playing Counter-Strike 2 without risking a VAC-related restriction, until a compatibility patch from AMD or a VAC rule adjustment is released.
This issue isn’t isolated to Counter-Strike 2. Players in other popular titles have reported similar experiences when Anti-Lag+ or analogous latency-focused features are present. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, spontaneous crashes have been noted after updating to the latest driver, which can disrupt competition and lead to frustration. In Apex Legends, the same driver change has, on occasion, triggered incorrect bans or misclassifications by anti-cheat tools, illustrating a broader pattern: performance optimizations that alter how software components interact can unintentionally collide with security checks. As communities share their experiences, the trade-off between reduced latency and stable, accurate anti-cheat behavior becomes a focal point for both hardware makers and game developers.
Industry observers have pointed to the need for clearer guidance and more robust testing when driver features touch game engines or anti-cheat interfaces. In the meantime, players who rely on Anti-Lag+ should consider temporarily disabling the feature while gaming in Counter-Strike 2, especially if they encounter connection instability or a VAC-related restriction. This approach helps preserve access to competitive play while vendors work on a solution that harmonizes driver enhancements with security systems. For those following the topic, ongoing developments from both AMD and Valve will be key to confirming whether a formal patch, a driver update, or a VAC policy refinement will restore seamless play for GPU setups affected by Anti-Lag+.