The hunt for cheaters in Katowice is on

If you’re looking for proof that ESL is cracking down on cheaters at this weekend’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, you need look no further than the evidence provided by Natus Vincere.

One of the best Counter-Strike teams in the world, Natus Vincere documented its experience after showing up to the venue in Katowice, Poland. ESL officials pormptly asked the team to hand over all their equipment so that it could be checked for cheats

As team manager Eugene Erofeev explains in the video, the officials were concerned over the possible use of cheat scripts that could be transported on the USB devices. The concerns are hardly a surprise. Last year, a number of top professionals, including Hovik “ Kqly” Tovmassian and Gordon “Sf” Giry, were caught hacking by Valve’s anti-cheat system.

LAN tournaments had traditionally been thought of as a safe haven from the cheating that so often existed online. Players who managed success online but hadn’t been able to replicate it in a live tournament setting were often looked at with suspicion.

But the bans that rocked the Counter-Strike scene in 2014 dispelled the notion of the live event as being impenetrable for hackers. Top players such as Fnatic’s Robin “Flusha” Ronnquist came under attack by community members seeking to root out cheaters who hadn’t been caught.

In reaction to the community and to the bans, ESL and DreamHack promised to take further precautions against cheating. As the video clearly shows, ESL is following up on that promise.

Erofeev and team captain Daniil “Zeus” Teslenko also take a moment to joke about the possibility of drug testing, though there may just be something to their concern. For now, players and teams will have to settle on electronic testing.

Image via ESL