diff --git a/CS2-SimpleAdmin/CS2-SimpleAdmin.cs b/CS2-SimpleAdmin/CS2-SimpleAdmin.cs
index 338a41f..63c23d1 100644
--- a/CS2-SimpleAdmin/CS2-SimpleAdmin.cs
+++ b/CS2-SimpleAdmin/CS2-SimpleAdmin.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public partial class CS2_SimpleAdmin : BasePlugin, IPluginConfig<CS2_SimpleAdmin
     public override string ModuleName => "CS2-SimpleAdmin" + (Helper.IsDebugBuild ? " (DEBUG)" : " (RELEASE)");
     public override string ModuleDescription => "Simple admin plugin for Counter-Strike 2 :)";
     public override string ModuleAuthor => "daffyy";
-    public override string ModuleVersion => "1.8.2b-zio16";
+    public override string ModuleVersion => "1.8.2b-zio17";
     
     public override void Load(bool hotReload)
     {
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ public partial class CS2_SimpleAdmin : BasePlugin, IPluginConfig<CS2_SimpleAdmin
         if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(Config.Discord.DiscordLogWebhook))
             DiscordWebhookClientLog = new DiscordManager(Config.Discord.DiscordLogWebhook);
 
-        if (Config.EnableUpdateCheck)
-            Task.Run(async () => await PluginInfo.CheckVersion(ModuleVersion, Logger));
+        // zio: no update check or startup banner (upstream's PluginInfo, removed). EnableUpdateCheck
+        // is left in the config so existing files still load, and does nothing.
         
         PermissionManager = new PermissionManager(DatabaseProvider);
         BanManager = new BanManager(DatabaseProvider);
diff --git a/CS2-SimpleAdmin/Helper.cs b/CS2-SimpleAdmin/Helper.cs
index 1a04a9c..98d07a9 100644
--- a/CS2-SimpleAdmin/Helper.cs
+++ b/CS2-SimpleAdmin/Helper.cs
@@ -1006,74 +1006,6 @@ internal static class Helper
     
 }
 
-public static class PluginInfo
-{
-    internal static async Task CheckVersion(string localVersion, ILogger logger)
-    {
-        ShowAd(localVersion);
-        const string versionUrl = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/daffyyyy/CS2-SimpleAdmin/main/CS2-SimpleAdmin/VERSION";
-        var client = CS2_SimpleAdmin.HttpClient;
-        client.Timeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(3);
-        
-        try
-        {
-            var response = await client.GetAsync(versionUrl);
-
-            if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
-            {
-                var remoteVersion = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
-                remoteVersion = remoteVersion.Trim();
-
-                var comparisonResult = string.CompareOrdinal(localVersion, remoteVersion);
-
-                switch (comparisonResult)
-                {
-                    case < 0:
-                        logger.LogWarning("Plugin is outdated! Check https://github.com/daffyyyy/CS2-SimpleAdmin");
-                        break;
-                    case > 0:
-                        logger.LogInformation("Probably dev version detected");
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        logger.LogInformation("Plugin is up to date");
-                        break;
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                logger.LogWarning($"Failed to check version. Status Code: {response.StatusCode}");
-            }
-        }
-        catch (HttpRequestException ex)
-        {
-            logger.LogError(ex, "Failed to connect to the version server.");
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            logger.LogError(ex, "An error occurred while checking version.");
-        }
-    }
-
-    private static void ShowAd(string moduleVersion)
-    {
-        Console.WriteLine(" ");
-        Console.WriteLine(" _______  ___   __   __  _______  ___      _______  _______  ______   __   __  ___   __    _  ");
-        Console.WriteLine("|       ||   | |  |_|  ||       ||   |    |       ||   _   ||      | |  |_|  ||   | |  |  | |");
-        Console.WriteLine("|  _____||   | |       ||    _  ||   |    |    ___||  |_|  ||  _    ||       ||   | |   |_| |");
-        Console.WriteLine("| |_____ |   | |       ||   |_| ||   |    |   |___ |       || | |   ||       ||   | |       |");
-        Console.WriteLine("|_____  ||   | |       ||    ___||   |___ |    ___||       || |_|   ||       ||   | |  _    |");
-        Console.WriteLine(" _____| ||   | | ||_|| ||   |    |       ||   |___ |   _   ||       || ||_|| ||   | | | |   |");
-        Console.WriteLine("|_______||___| |_|   |_||___|    |_______||_______||__| |__||______| |_|   |_||___| |_|  |__|");
-        Console.WriteLine("				>> Version: " + moduleVersion);
-        Console.WriteLine("		>> GitHub: https://github.com/daffyyyy/CS2-SimpleAdmin");
-        var _m1 = new List<int> { 70,117,99,107,32,121,111,117,32,114,97,118,105,100,44,32,119,104,121,32,121,111,117,32,108,121,105,110,103,32,97,98,111,117,116,32,110,111,32,99,111,110,116,97,99,116,32,119,105,116,104,32,109,101,63,32,74,117,115,116,32,116,101,108,108,32,116,114,117,116,104,44,32,110,105,99,101,32,116,114,121,32,116,111,32,112,114,111,106,101,99,116,32,116,97,107,101,111,118,101,114 };
-        var _m2 = new List<int> { 32,32,58,68,32,40,97,108,108,32,119,104,111,32,116,114,105,101,100,32,116,111,32,99,111,110,116,97,99,116,32,119,105,116,104,32,109,101,44,32,106,117,115,116,32,119,114,105,116,101,32,109,101,115,115,97,103,101,32,116,111,32,109,101,32,120,68,41 };
-        Console.WriteLine("		>> " + new string(_m1.Select(c => (char)c).ToArray()));
-        Console.WriteLine("		>> " + new string(_m2.Select(c => (char)c).ToArray()));
-        Console.WriteLine(" ");
-    }
-}
-
 public class SchemaString<TSchemaClass>(TSchemaClass instance, string member)
     : NativeObject(Schema.GetSchemaValue<nint>(instance.Handle, typeof(TSchemaClass).Name, member))
     where TSchemaClass : NativeObject
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 47b3a1b..6a3254e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ from the `build-1.8.2b` tag). Changes, all marked `zio:` in the code:
   is picked, and otherwise the reply lists the matches. `css_ungag`, `css_unmute` and
   `css_unsilence` match online players by part of the name too (upstream needed the full name),
   falling back to the offline search only when no one online matches.
+- No startup version check or banner: upstream's `PluginInfo` (`CheckVersion`, which asked upstream's
+  GitHub for its `VERSION` on every load, and `ShowAd`, the console banner with two encoded lines
+  of personal messages) is removed. `EnableUpdateCheck` stays in the config, so existing files
+  still load, and does nothing.
 
 Backported from upstream 1.9.0 (commit `530f603`), not marked `zio:`: