Josh “steel” Nissan’s indefinite ban from Counter-Strike appears to be coming to a close, as the esports player hints that he’ll be eligible to participate in Valve-partnered Counter-Strike 2 events starting in the 2025 season. The proposed return date in January 2025, mentioned by steel in a tweet on October 25, coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the iBUYPOWER bans that had a profound impact on the CS community. Steel had previously been unbanned by ESL and Dreamhack in 2017, but Valve’s ban remained the final obstacle.
Steel expressed his hope to move on from one of Global Offensive’s most significant scandals and believes he’s ready to be associated with something new and more positive.
If the January unban date holds true, it means he will be eligible to participate in all future CS events, including Majors. This marks a significant change from his previous inability to attend Major events. Dot Esports has reached out to steel to confirm further details.
Despite his involvement in the iBUYPOWER match-fixing scandal in 2015, the North American in-game leader (IGL) has remained a prominent figure in the CS:GO community for years. He has been instrumental in nurturing North American talent in various teams, many of which have transitioned to VALORANT.
While steel did explore VALORANT, playing for teams like 100 Thieves, T1, and Disguised in the VALORANT pro scene, he has never completely left the Counter-Strike community. He has continued to participate in CS2 and currently competes professionally for Bad News Bears in ESL Challenger League Season 46 North America, alongside former Extra Salt IGL Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek.
Steel’s last Major was ESL One Cologne 2014 with the iBUYPOWER team. Since then, he has been unable to attend any RMRs or Major events. However, come January, it appears that this will change for steel.