Evidence rules
A report is accepted only if one video proves three things: who the player is, which Steam account it is, and what they did. Moderators reject anything that doesn't meet these rules, however obvious the cheating looks.
The video must show
Open the console (~) and type status. Scroll to the cheater's line and hold still for at least 2 seconds so the name and SteamID ([U:1:123456789]) are readable.
The name in status must match the name of the player you show cheating.
Open the cheater's Steam profile through the Steam overlay: from the scoreboard (enable the cursor and click the player) or Shift+Tab View players. The profile URL or SteamID must be visible.
This ties the in-game name to a real account, because names can be copied (name stealing bots).
Show the violation clearly, at normal speed, in the same match. Spectating the cheater in first person is best. Show at least 3 clear moments; one is enough only for blatant cases (spinbot, bot accounts).
Slow motion and zoom are welcome as extras, but the original-speed footage must be included.
All three parts must come from the same match: same server, same map, same player name. Record them in one continuous video if you can.
Video requirements
- Resolution 720p or higher (1080p recommended), at least 30 FPS. Text in the console must be readable.
- MP4 (H.264) or WebM, up to 4 GB and 20 minutes. OBS, ShadowPlay and Steam recording all work.
- Cuts are allowed only to remove dead time. Don't cut inside the evidence moments, don't change speed of the main footage, don't crop the HUD, kill feed or scoreboard.
- Don't cover the cheater's name. You may blur your own chat, friends list and notifications.
- Upload the original recording. Re-encoded clips from TikTok/YouTube Shorts are usually too blurry.
- The video becomes public once the report is reviewed, whether it's approved or rejected, so anyone can check every decision. Don't upload anything you wouldn't want others to see.
Exploiters
Not only cheats: you can also report exploits, abusing game or map bugs to get an unfair edge or ruin the match. Getting out of bounds or under the map, crashing or freezing the server, abusing spawn and respawn bugs.
The evidence rules are exactly the same: live status, the Steam profile in the overlay and the exploit itself, in one match. A report with only exploits marks the player as an exploiter; if it also shows a cheat, they're marked as a cheater.
Skill and legit tech are not exploits: rocket and sticky jumps, airstrafing, trimping, market gardens, spy trickstabs, building jumps and other movement the game allows.
Cheater supporters
A report can also name cheater supporters: players who knowingly help a cheater. For example they queue in a party with them, start votekicks against players who call out the cheater, or defend them in chat and voice.
Every supporter needs the same proof as the cheater, in the same video and the same match:
- their line in status with the SteamID readable;
- their Steam profile opened through the Steam overlay;
- the support itself: the party shown in the scoreboard, the vote started by them in chat, their messages or voice.
Just being on the cheater's team or on their friends list is not support. Supporters without this proof are removed from the report; the rest of the report can still be approved.
Demos: only for the violation, never for identity
TF2 can record every match automatically: set ds_enable 1 in the console (Demo Support). If you notice a cheater too late, you can then watch the demo with demoui and record the violation from their first-person view.
Names and SteamIDs inside a demo can be edited, so a demo never proves who the player is. Identity comes only from what you record live in the match: your own status output and the Steam profile opened in the overlay.
So when the violation comes from demo playback, the same video must also contain the live status and Steam profile from that match, and the name in the demo has to match the name in that live status. Moderators decide only on what the video shows; we don't accept .dem files.
Not accepted
- Reports without the status output or without the Steam profile, even for obvious bots.
- .dem files, or a status / SteamID shown during demo playback, as proof of identity. Demos can be edited.
- Screenshots, scoreboards, stats, "he's too good", vote kicks or voice chat as evidence.
- YouTube or other links instead of an uploaded file. Links can be added only as extra mirrors.
- Footage you didn't record yourself, unless it's the original file with all three parts.
- Personal information about the player (real name, address, social media). The report will be removed.
Edited, staged or fake evidence gets your account permanently banned from check.tf and all your reports removed.
What happens after you submit
- While it's pending, the report and video are visible only to you and the moderators. After the decision they are public, for transparency.
- Approved: the player is marked as a confirmed cheater, the video becomes public and the player is added to the TF2 Bot Detector list.
- Rejected: the report stays public with the moderator's reason and a clear "not confirmed" mark, so anyone can check the decision. The player is not marked. You'll also see the reason on your reports page. You can submit a new report with better evidence.
- Your name isn't shown on public report pages. Only moderators see who submitted a report.
- Marked players can appeal. A different moderator checks the original evidence again; the player doesn't need their own recording of that match. If the evidence doesn't hold up (wrong player, rules broken, account stolen at the time), the report is overturned and the player is shown as cleared.