Valve is handing out new DOTA 2 bans in the a very festive way for the Christmas period, giving scummy players gift-wrapped bans in the hugely popular MOBA game.
In a new wave of DOTA 2 bans, Valve is once-again targeting Smurf accounts, high-ranking players making new accounts to easily crush newcomers. With the practice making for poor matchmaking for new players, most live service games try very hard to combat the trend.
As the new ban wave coincides with DOTA 2’s ongoing Festivus event, Valve has decided to wrap up bans for the game’s scummiest players. Anyone who violates the game’s Terms of Service are now treated to a small present in their armory, but they won’t like it.
A viral clip of a player opening their Festivus gift shows them receiving a lump of coal from Valve. Dubbed a “Highly Toxic Lump of Coal”, the gift-wrapped ban comes with a statement reading: “Your DOTA account has been permanently banned for smurfing or other violations of the Steam Terms of Service”.
With thousands of players on Father Valve’s naughty list in every ban wave, many toxic DOTA 2 players are receiving their lumps of coal in the form of Festivus Christmas gifts. At the time of writing, it’s not known what happens if players don’t open their coal-filled Festivus presents. However, it’s expected that the bans will be handed out in due course anyway.
Of course, the toxic players who have been granted their presents have complained about Valve’s gift. On the DOTA 2 subreddit, fans have reacted with confusion and unhappiness at the developer’s fun way of telling players off. Some players even claim that Valve is wrongly banning them, although we’ve all heard that before.
DOTA 2 players hit with the toxic lump of coal are currently arguing that they play in internet cafes, or got banned for using their “younger brother’s laptop”. Yeah, okay, bro, enjoy your coal.
DOTA 2 is currently available to play for free via Steam on PC.