CSGO free-to-play model is a case farming nightmare

Bot case farming or AFK case farming has become a massive issue in CSGO. With the release of the CS20 weapon case recently, players have noticed a massive spike in bots plaguing official Valve deathmatch servers. The problem has gotten so large that it often is the case that AFK bots outnumber real players on the server.

AFK bots swarming deathmatch servers

Shortly after the release of the CS20 case on Oct. 18, the deathmatch servers became plagued with spinning AFK bots. Some have taken to Reddit to express their disappointment. Probably the most shocking experience was had by a Reddit user by the name of mendimr who posted this photo on the r/GlobalOffensive subreddit.

Four bots have been successful enough to get the CS20 case, something that is extremely unlikely. Four players receiving a case after a match is an unlikely sight on its own. It’s safe to say that the owner of those bots was ecstatic with the outcome.

Free-to-play is to blame?

Since the release of the revamped model of CSGO along with the release of the battle royale, Danger Zone, many people haven’t been happy with the direction that Valve has taken with the game. Many problems surfaced immediately, such as the sole fact that lower ranks that do not have Prime status are a cheat-ridden hell. However, the CS20 case really shows how the free-to-play model has not only hindered CSGO‘s official servers but also the game’s economy.

With each release of a weapon case, one would be lucky to get an in-game drop as the initial price is sky high. The price then would gradually dip, over the next couple of weeks or so. Unfortunately, this time we’re seeing record-low prices for the newest case, the CS20. Here is a graph showing how the price has plummeted ever since the release of the case on Oct. 18.

Starting at almost $10, the case was already at half price the morning of the next day and reached a low of just over $2 in the evening of Oct. 19. Come Oct. 22, the case is worth just over a shockingly low $1.

Is this the result of an intensified AFK bot farming? A lot of people seem to suspect so. Hopefully, Valve will soon deal with this issue, as it has really gotten out of hand for the CSGO community.