JAMPPI SUES VALVE FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY VAC BAN

Aspiring professional CS:GO player, Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen, lost an opportunity to join with OG Esports because of a VAC ban on an account tied to his name. However, Jamppi claims that he sold the account to a friend before the VAC ban was placed. Jamppi has filed a lawsuit in Finland in an attempt to recuperate losses caused by his association with the banned account.

VAC and Valve

Jamppi will continue to be punished for the VAC ban on the account he sold unless he is able to dissociate himself with the banned account. Valves Anti-Cheat System (VAC) is “an automated system designed to detect cheats installed on users’ computers.” If an account is flagged for cheating by VAC, the owner of the account will be banned from playing “on VAC-Secured servers in the future.” Regardless of the sale of Jamppi’s banned account, as long as his name is attached to it, he will face the repercussions of the ban. The extent of a VAC ban extends into the real world, forbidding Jamppi from participating in Valve sanctioned events while the ban stands and is linked to his name.

The VAC website strictly states that “VAC bans are permanent, non-negotiable, and cannot be removed by Steam Support.” However, “If a VAC ban is determined to have been issued incorrectly, it will automatically be removed.” According to the lawsuit, Jamppi’s initial request for Valve to remove the VAC ban was denied and all further attempts to negotiate with Valve have been ignored

Looking for Help From the CSPPA and the Law

Jamppi has reached out to the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association (CSPPA) to no avail. Despite the CSPPA’s mission of  “[aimming] to safeguard, protect and promote professional Counter-Strike players’ interests” they have been unable to assist with Jamppi’s predicament. Jarek “Dekay” Lewis managed to talk to a CSPPA representative about Jamppi and shared that CSPPA has been in contact with Jamppi, however, this situation is out of their reach:

“CSPPA cannot comment on this specific case simply because it has evolved to a legal proceeding which CSPPA is not a party to, because we don’t hold all the details or facts of the matter, and because Jamppi has attaint individual legal representation by a lawyer in Finland. We have earlier been in dialogue with the manager and the lawyer of Jamppi and will continue the dialogue and follow the case.”

Boys Will be Boys

Jamppi’s young age at the time of the infraction may be able to accomplish what Valve’s customer support and the CSPPA could not. According to the lawsuit, Jamppi was 14 years old when he bought an additional account so his friend could play with him at a LAN in 2015. Jamppi claims that he sold the account to his friend soon after the purchase and before the ban was issued. Jamppi’s actions as a teenager are now in control of his adult professional career, which may leverage Valve to relax the strict characteristics of being banned by their anti-cheat system.

Unless Valve takes action, the fate of Jamppi’s CS:GO career as a professional CS:GO player has been sealed. Winning the lawsuit against Valve will earn Jamppi the value of the damages the ban has caused, but failing to lift the ban will cost Jamppi his dreams for his future.

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