Account Boosting and Legitimate Ranking

Account boosting is when a higher-skilled player plays on someone else's account to increase their rank artificially. Valve explicitly prohibits boosting and actively bans accounts caught boosting. Boosted accounts face account bans, VAC bans, or permanently locked Competitive ranks, preventing future rank progression.

Boosting creates an imbalanced competitive ecosystem: boosted players play at ranks beyond their skill level, ruining matches for teammates and opponents. Players relying on boosting don't develop personal skill, leading to inevitable deranking once boosting stops. The investment in boosting is wasted since ranks will drop to legitimate skill level eventually.

Legitimate ranking involves personal improvement through practice, play, and experience. Reaching higher ranks by your own effort provides actual skill improvements and is the only sustainable path to competitive success. Professional players reached their ranks legitimately through thousands of hours of dedicated practice.

If playing with significantly better players, Valve's system may flag the account as suspicious if the rank doesn't match performance patterns. Flagged accounts may face rank resets or restrictions. Playing at your own skill level, solo or with similarly-skilled teammates, ensures legitimate ranking progression.