ESEA updates rules to ban null binds in league matches

Earlier this month, Razer unveiled "Snap Tap", a feature built into their Huntsman Elite keyboards that offer a user the ability to link two keys such that when both are pressed, only the most recent input is passed along to the game.

In practice, this means when a player is strafing right using the "D" key, and taps "A", the player can get perfect counter-strafes using Snap Tap. This is because without Snap Tap, there is very likely the chance that the player overlaps their A and D keys while counter-strafing, which in the game, would cancel out and result in no acceleration.

With Snap Tap, once the A key is activated, the keyboard will not send the D input, resulting in zero ticks of overlapping movement, and thus no stalling. The keyboard always prioritizes the last pressed input.

Since Razer pushed this feature, Wooting have been quick to implement their own version, called SOCD, which has the same result.

All these keyboard updates have puzzled players and fans alike, as they seemingly have the same result as null-bind scripts, which have been banned in tournaments for years. Players like Robin "ropz" Kool has said the Snap Tap should be disallowed, yet ESL have allowed the feature in their tournaments.

Multiple pros have used Snap Tap or Wooting's equivalent in recent ESL tournaments, as discovered by writer "Mike".

With all the confusion as to whether this feature will continue to be allowed in ESL play, or if other TOs will adopt their position, Austin "Cooper" Abadir of Mythic asked if null binds would be allowed in ECL and other League play. Darwin, community manager for FACEIT, reaffirmed that after internal discussions, ESEA will continue to ban null-binds and other movement altering scripts.