Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's Trusted Mode continues to frustrate players running legitimate programs in their computer's background. The latest update has caused headaches for streamers, as Valve has closed a loophole that would have allowed OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) to run correctly while in Trusted Mode.
Valve developed Trusted Mode for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to discourage cheating and assign bans for suspicious software usage. This game mode can be compared to other pieces of anti-cheat software, such as PunkBuster or NProtect, which prevent third-party software from interacting with the game, creating a level playing field for all players to enjoy.
However, the intent has not been the outcome as players have reported software like Discord and OBS having issues with Trusted Mode. CSGO players are allowed to run the game without this style but are permitted only in lower priority queues. OBS has had severe problems running behind Trusted Mode. Streamers have been forced to use Window Capture instead of Game Capture, with users reporting a severe decline in machine performance. Game Capture in OBS is a more streamlined, less CPU-intensive mode of capturing content from the user, allowing the game to function normally.
A Reddit user named LuaStoned created a workaround plug-in for OBS and announced it on the CS:GO subreddit on April 22, 2021. Upon examination, the plug-in copies OBS files into the Windows directory to show that they're trusted and runs from there. Valve developer John McDonald replied to the thread a few hours later, declaring they were shutting down the loophole. McDonald stressed that using the plug-in directly went against what Trusted Mode was made for and warned of bans that could come from trying to use the said plug-in.
The solution provided for the issue was to run CS:GO with Trusted Mode disabled. Players quickly went on the offensive in the post to complain about Trusted Mode's issues and how streaming was being interfered with. With nearly a year in existence and players still encountering problems, the frustration is understandable. Machine performance during any competitive game is necessary, and when that performance drops, so too could the player's match quality. McDonald did not comment any further on the post after the initial response.
While CS:GO continues to be incredibly popular for streaming, Trusted Mode's ongoing issues may cause a shift for gamers looking to broadcast gameplay. Whether this is addressed through Valve internally or by streamers looking to other software remains to be seen.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is available now on Mac, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.