Counter-Strike 2 Flooded with Michael Jackson Imitators, Valve Joins in on the Fun

For years, professional FPS players have been peeking around corners to catch their opponents off guard, but a technique in Counter-Strike 2 can only be described as criminal.

The bug appears when players use a sniper scope after running: the game can’t handle the character’s leg movements during the change in speed, causing the body to tilt in a way reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s anti-gravity lean from his “Smooth Criminal” music video.

To execute this trick with any weapon, players can use either an analog keyboard or a configuration file prepared by one of the players. All that’s needed is to hold Alt while strafing.

Named after Michael Jackson, the bug has gained popularity on social media platforms. Interestingly, the bug was present before the game’s official release but only gained attention recently.

While it’s unlikely that the trick gives any noticeable advantage over opponents (apart from perhaps a moment of surprise), it is already being used in professional matches.

Valve even joined the community in acknowledging the bug. A small image of Michael Jackson appeared on Counter-Strike 2’s official X (formerly Twitter) account banner.

AMD’s New Feature in Counter-Strike 2 Leads to VAC Bans, Valve Confirms

AMD recently released the Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.10.1 WHQL driver, including support for Anti-Lag+ for Counter-Strike 2. However, this feature seems to trigger the Valve Anti-Cheat system (VAC), leading to Steam account bans for some players using AMD Radeon cards.

Valve clarified that the bans occur because Anti-Lag+ modifies the game’s engine.dll file. Any code manipulation results in a VAC ban. Valve stated they will not adapt their anti-cheat system for this feature and advised against using it.