HLTV exclusively reported on Tuesday that American Counter Strike 2 club, Pulse, and its players have been banned for two and a half years for using third-party software to cheat during the Dust2 Eagles Masters Series tournament.

According to the report, the tournament's organizers, Dust2 and INUI commissioned an independent third-party organization to investigate Pulse. The investigation found that the club repeatedly used third-party software to gain an advantage during the qualifiers of Season 6 of the tournament, thus resulting in a serious violation of the competition rules.

To eradicate this unethical practice and upholding the tournament's zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that undermines fair competition, cheating, or illegal betting, Pulse and its players have been banned for two and a half years, effective immediately, until July 24, 2028.

Those who disagree with the decision can email the official Dust2 tournament administrator.

INUI also reserves the right to report this matter to Valve for further instructions.

Following Pulse's suspension, their spot has been handed over to Chicken Coop, the runner-up in the qualifiers.

An official from INUI, in an interview with HLTV, expressed deep regret over the incident and concern about the increasing frequency of cheating and players having lack of sportsmanship in the Counter Strike 2 professional esports scene.

He also hoped that the suspension of Pulse would deter other players and teams from imitating the club and create a more positive image for the North American and global CS2 esports scene.

The suspended Pulse players are:

Electrician

miles

TheJelly

Molly

FROGTRAPPA

Prs

Image source: Internet / HLTV