Joshua “steel” Nissan is about to make his return to competitive cybersport after his Valve ban expires at the beginning of 2025. What does it mean for cybersport?
Joshua “steel” Nissan is a professional Counter-Strike 2 player who was banned from joining Valve-associated events due to his involvement in the match-fixing scandal. The punishment was a strong message about the consequences of exploit abuse, with the ban set to expire in January 2025. After 10 years of anticipation, Valve is finally ready to lift the Counter-Strike 2 ban on the top player. This promises to be a critical moment in cybersport history. CS2 fans want to see whether “steel” will make a pompous return to the competitive scene or pursue other opportunities in the world of esports.
Flashback: Why Was “Steel” Banned in the First Place?
CS2 is known for some shake-ups at the professional level. However, players are rarely banned from esports competitions. In 2015, “steel” and a few other players from the iBUYSTEEL team were accused of being involved in a massive match-fixing controversy. In Season 5 of the CEVO Professional League, their team lost against Netcodeguides despite being the obvious winners until the very last moment. Richard Lewis, the esports journalist, found that a few individuals involved in the competition had wagered against iBUYPOWER. These included members of the iBP team, who wagered money against themselves and fixed the match to lose and make a clear profit. Five out of five players were announced to be guilty of match-fixing. Only Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham was found innocent. So will Joshua’s comeback make CS GO betting full of fun again?
From Permanent Ban to Redemption
The initial ban was meant to be permanent. Valve decided to adjust their verdict after some debates. By 2017, leading esports companies like ESL and DreamHack eased their restrictions, allowing banned players to join non-Valve-sponsored events. Despite the adjustments, “steel” still couldn’t take part in the major tournaments, which pushed the player to transition to Valorant in 2020. Despite the undeniable success, “steel” was still waiting for a big comeback into the CS2 industry.
The Comeback: Valve Finally Lifts the Ban
As of January 29, Valve will officially stop the ban and allow “steel” to compete in CS2 tournaments. Esports fans are waiting for the player’s next step. Will he use an opportunity to showcase his skills and rebuild his reputation as the top CS2 player? Will he continue his career in Valorant? Who knows, he might manage to balance both things at once.
After spending a lot of time playing for smaller CS2 teams, “steel” made a significant transition into a more competitive Valorant space. Currently playing for T1, he shows great performance backed by strong statistics. In his recent interview, he stated that he would be more than happy to compete in CS2 at a high level. Fans should keep their eyes open for any updates in this regard.
With the ban officially elevated, the spotlight is back on “steel”. The year 2025 promises to be an exciting point for the player and his fans.