Steam takes cheating seriously, as a fair gaming environment is essential for keeping gamers happy. That means the penalty can be severe when users are caught cheating in games. Valve has created the Valve Anti-Cheating (VAC) ban to implement on any users who are proven to cheat in games. That prevents the user from playing the game they cheated in and possibly some other games. But will the VAC ban transfer from one account to another if you have multiple Steam accounts?
If you have multiple Steam accounts and receive a VAC ban, any additional accounts could be affected depending on whether the accounts share the same phone number.
This blog post will discuss the following:
Valve Anti-Cheating ban
VAC bans were first introduced to Steam in 2002. However, technology has advanced over time, and users have found new ways to cheat in games. The system behind the VAC ban has also been modified to ensure it is up-to-date with all modern cheating methods.
VAC bans are a severe consequence that users should want to avoid at all costs. Because they are non-negotiable and permanent, not even Steam support staff can remove the ban. According to Steam,
“The VAC system reliably detects cheats using their cheat signatures. Any third-party modifications to a game designed to give one player an advantage over another are classified as a cheat or hack and will trigger a VAC ban. This includes modifications to a game’s core executable files and dynamic link libraries”.
Steam Support
VAC ban on additional accounts
As mentioned above, if you own additional Steam accounts, you can continue to play the game on that account. However, if the other account has been registered with the same phone number as the banned account, the additional account will also have the VAC ban.
According to Steam Community users, there may be one way around this. Suppose your account got VAC banned; if you remove your phone number from the account that got banned and the additional account. Then three months later, if you add it to your other account again, it is highly likely that Steam won’t recognize the number and won’t ban the additional account.
Common questions
Since being VAC banned is a serious consequence of cheating, all Steam users should want to avoid it as much as possible. Here are some common questions users are often curious about regarding the VAC ban.
Why are VAC bans done on all accounts with the same phone number?
According to Steam,
“VAC bans are applied to all accounts sharing a phone number at the time of the infraction. For this (and many other) reasons, we do not recommend sharing your phone number or using another user’s phone number on your Steam account. Accounts sharing the phone number that do not own the game the VAC ban is for will still receive a VAC ban and will not be able to purchase the game moving forward.
There are no restrictions placed on phone numbers that were on an account when the account was VAC banned; phone numbers can immediately be used on new accounts.”
Steam Support
If I ‘Family Share’ with someone who gets a VAC ban, will it affect me?
If someone who ‘family shares’ with you receives a VAC ban, Steam will remove their family sharing privileges. That means you can no longer share the game on which the player received a VAC ban. Therefore, it’s vital only to authorize computers and Steam accounts that you know are secure.
Which games can you still play after being VAC banned?
If your account has been VAC banned, you can still play any single-player game (Or non-VAC-secured multiplayer game) and local LAN games. To find non-VAC-secured games on Steam, follow the steps outlined below.
- Sign in to your Steam account.
Use your credentials to log into your Steam account.
2. Select ‘View.’
From the panel at the top of the screen, select ‘View.’
3. Go to ‘Servers.’
When the drop-down list appears, select ‘Servers.’
4. Click on ‘Change Filters.’
Click on the ‘Change Filters’ button at the bottom of the window.
5. Click on the options for ‘Anti-cheat.’
Next to the ‘Anti-cheat’ option, click on the small downwards-facing arrow to see the options.
6. Select ‘Not secure.’
From the drop-down list, select ‘Not secure.’
Conclusion
Being VAC banned significantly impacts what you can do on Steam. It removes your ability to play the games you want, family sharing privileges, and many other things. This is why it is essential to ensure you don’t cheat and don’t play from any computers or servers that have cheats installed, as this will also get you VAC banned. If you have any additional accounts that are not registered on the same phone number, you can still use them as usual. However, if you have used the same phone number, it becomes more difficult as you have to remove the phone number and add it back after three months. This blog post looks at the most common questions surrounding VAC bans and demonstrates how to access the non-VAC-secured games on Steam.
Thank you for reading this blog post. If you have any further questions regarding VAC bans, leave a comment, and we’ll be sure to get back to you.