Here at TFCL, we’ve always had a very strong stance on banned players, and whether or not we should mirror the bans found in other leagues. Fact is, we have a different general philosophy when it comes to player bans, and what we actually end up enforcing. We are of the belief that just because you were banned in RGL, does not mean that you automatically deserve the ban that you were given. For instance, the rules and conditions here at TFCL may not always be a 1:1 mirror of those found within RGL, and because of that, if a rule was broken in RGL that resulted in a player being banned, that player will naturally not be banned in TFCL, as we simply don’t have the same rule as them.
This article is meant to go over our banning ideology, and why we believe our method and approach is better for the safety and integrity of the competitive Team Fortress 2 community.
1. Why We Don’t Mirror RGL Bans
As briefly mentioned in the opening to this article, TFCL does not automatically mirror the bans found within RGL. This does not mean that we won’t ban a player that was also banned within RGL, just that we do not apply the same rule or enforcement prioritization as they do.
RGL enforces their rules to the best of their ability, which unfortunately sometimes results in unfair punishments. The fact that we cannot with absolute certainty confirm all RGL bans are justified, we have opted to simply not mirror them.
2. Why We DO Mirror UGC Bans
Unlike RGL, the banning methodology of UGC is a little bit different, especially under current leadership. While RGL bans can at times be rooted in the personal opinions of individual administrator interpretation, the bans within UGC are more centralized on the core of the competitive TF2 experience. Did a player cheat? They’re banned. Did they do something illegal? They’re banned.
Having said that, the bans within UGC are only going to apply to TFCL retroactively. Once TFCL launches officially, we will no longer mirror the bans found within UGC or any other league. Instead, we will enforce our own bans based on TFCL player conduct. Mirroring UGC bans simply gives us a head start.
3. Anti-cheat Team
Our goal as a league is to be as open and upfront as possible regarding player enforcement, which is why we do not have a secret underground anti-cheat team. We trust our administrators to provide fair and reasonable enforcements, and if they fail to do so, they will be removed from staff.
We also take community feedback very seriously. If multiple members of the TF2 community strongly believe that a certain player is actively hacking or cheating in some way, we will review these allegations, and watch that player very closely. If it is determined that they are in fact cheating, or otherwise violating a TFCL rule, they will be punished accordingly.
4. Ban Appeals
We as a league must also acknowledge that we’re not perfect, and that sometimes an innocent player will be subject to unfair and unjustified enforcements. When this happens, that player can reach out with a league official, creating a case for their potential unban.
This also applies to players that were banned within UGC, and mirrored over to TFCL.
It’s All About Competitive Integrity
By the end of the day, we are here to provide a fair and competitive environment for all players of all ranks. We’re trying to set a new standard for TF2, where both the players, as well as the league itself, are held to the highest competitive standards. There must be accountability from all sides of the field.
We don’t care if you are an Invite player, or an Open player. All players are subject to the same rules, and will receive the exact same enforcement as anyone else.