Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Here are s1mple’s video settings in CS2
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike 2 release date is near, but those who’ve already gained access are looking for the best video settings. Luckily, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has shared his video settings in CS2. CS2 has terrible fps problems for those with low-end computers, but fortunate players with optimal builds can easily apply s1mple’s video settings. Even though the pro player has most of the video settings toned down, they may still cause stuttering …
Counter-Strike
CSGO makes history with 1M+ players sustained for an entire year
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is soaring high, retaining 1M+ players for a year for the first time in a decade. CS2 could be released any day now, and while a large chunk has already upgraded to the Source 2 variant, CSGO is hitting new heights. For the first time since its release, CSGO has sustained 1 million players throughout the year. In August 2022, right after its 10th anniversary, CSGO regained …
Counter-Strike
Gaming community angry at Bethesda for adding pronouns in Starfield
Fariha Bhatti
Restricted exploration and bugs during the testing phase aren’t players’ only complaints against Starfield. Streamers are bashing Bethesda for forcing the “LBGTQIA+ agenda” down their throats for adding pronouns in Starfield. Recently, playtesters who bagged access through illegal means accused Bethesda of lying about space exploration. Instead of being able to travel through the endless space, players were hit with the “boundary reached” error. Some of them are also upset …
Counter-Strike
CS2 early access: Eligibility criteria and how to get in
Fariha Bhatti
Still don’t have Counter-Strike 2 access? That might change today, at least if you check basic eligibility criteria. Valve is eventually rolling out CS2 for all. While it was initially highly exclusive, more players are now getting their hands on the hotly anticipated Source 2 upgrade. Finally, the biggest CS2 access wave hit yesterday, handing out access to those who didn’t check the previous boxes. The new criteria for CS2 …
Counter-Strike
Skin.Club launches $500 1v1 tournament for CSGO
William Davis
Skin.Club is hosting a paid 1v1 tournament in CSGO, and the prize is much more than just cold hard cash. 1v1s are a great way to practice both clutch situations and raw aim in Counter-Strike. The beloved pastime isn’t just casual though, and many players pride themselves on their skills at dancing between boxes. If you’re one such player, Skin.Club is offering a chance to test your skills on August …
Counter-Strike
CS players find ladder system needs one crucial upgrade
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike 2 news and rumors have been coming out aplenty, and the leaderboard system tops them all. While it’s surely an exciting idea, some players think it’s useless without a proper anti-cheat. It’s no secret that Valve’s FPS labor love has a lousy anti-cheat. When CS2 was announced, players had one big concern: If the new game would have the same old VAC. Turns out, Valve has packaged the old …
Counter-Strike
New CSGO data say noobs like shorter matches
Fariha Bhatti
The rumors of 12 max rounds in Counter-Strike 2 split the player base in two, and now, even stats show that only a certain group prefers shorter matches. When leakers broke the news that CS2 competitive may have MR12 format and shorter matches, it rocked the FPS community. Valorant players came forward accusing Valve of plagiarism, and CS 1.6 fans defended the legacy of their game for starting the trend …
Counter-Strike
All maps are now available in CS2, what does it mean?
William Davis
CS2 now has all of its maps available for play, but does Valve has a secret intention behind the change? The CS2 beta has gone on for four months, and between dozens of updates and several map swaps, Valve had added plenty of polish to the test. One of the company’s techniques has been to limit the test to a single map so that matchmaking is quick and bug reports …
Redline creator reveals a sequel skin for CS2
William Davis
Counter-Strike
The Redline is one of the most iconic skins in CSGO, and the new version for CS2 fits the new engine perfectly. Legendary CSGO skins creator EmKay has revealed a new sequel to the Redline meant exclusively for CS2. The follow-up perfectly captures the appeal of the original while also updating it with a much more modern look. CS2 is already rumored to bring a ton of new skins to …
Rumors say Cobblestone will return for CS2
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Cobblestone is one of the most polarizing maps in Counter-Strike history, but Valve may take yet another crack at it in CS2. Love it or hate it, it’s impossible to deny the influence that Cobblestone has had on CSGO. From spawning its most iconic skin to its constant appearances in the early competitive days, Cobble was king. However, it’s been out of active duty for several years now. That may …
Upgraded Italy has arrived in CS2
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
A reimagined Italy has arrived in Counter-Strike 2. The Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test just received a new update, which included the removal of Anubis and Ancient in favor of Italy. The map is now available for Deathmatch and casual game modes. The map looks brand new with vibrant lighting and detailed textures. But Italy’s changes are more than just cosmetic. Developers also added two new connector areas. Engineer and CS2 …
CS2 may adopt MR12 format, and some players hate it
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Valve hasn’t officially shrunk the size of Counter-Strike 2 Matchmaking yet, but the community is already pouring in feedback, with the majority disagreeing with the potential change. Data miners have found plausible clues in CS2 files pointing to MR12 format being in the works for competitive games. This means the first team to reach 13 rounds wins, similar to how LAN matches were played in CS 1.6 and the system …
Leaks suggest CS2 may remove 4-stack queues
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
The matchmaking system for Counter-Strike 2 is undergoing much-needed changes, including a feature aimed at addressing toxicity issues to a modest yet significant degree. According to data miners, CS2 is once again drawing inspiration from rival Valorant and third-party platform Faceit, limiting party members from queuing in a 4-stack. In an effort to curb toxicity, the MM may look significantly different in CS2. Unlike other FPS games like Valorant, CS …
CSGO exploit could leak your IP address to opponents
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players may be able to steal each other’s IP addresses thanks to a concerning new exploit. CSGO has continued to be a top FPS title thanks to its intense and mechanically focused gameplay combined with its free-to-play status. With the announcement of Counter-Strike 2, more people have been playing the classic shooter than ever before. Despite its popularity, however, CSGO is a bit outdated. This was further …
Will FACEIT matchmaking still work in CS2?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CS2 is almost here but will it actually kill FACEIT as some players suspect? The matchmaker itself disagrees. FACEIT players have already been burned by the CS2 limited beta test prioritizing Valve matchmaking fans, and the reveal of subtick servers looks even grimmer. However, fans who plan to stick with the advantages of the third-party matchmaker actually have some good news to look forward to. Luckily for curious players, the …
Stats show when Inferno may come to CS2
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Inferno is one of Counter-Strike’s most beloved maps, but it’s yet to make an appearance in CS2. However, that’s likely to change sooner than you may think. After more than two months of Dust 2, Valve has been churning out map after map for the CS2 beta. Ancient is currently in the spotlight after the brief run of Anubis, and the pace of map changes has rapidly increased. Inferno is …
You can now report CSGO account boosters directly to Valve
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
There exists a distinct category even more problematic than cheaters in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Account boosters have emerged as a scourge, tarnishing the competitive experience for everyone playing CSGO. A Valve employee has now responded with a formal way to submit your boosting complaints. This way, players can directly report malicious actors to the developers, which may result in swift punishments. Valve isn’t the most active developer in the FPS …
NAVI refutes claim that the org paid $1.35 million for iM and JL
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Natus Vincere has denied that it paid $1.35 million to acquire Ivan “iM” Mihai and Justinas “jL” Lekavicius from Cybersport. Ahead of the next Counter-Strike season, Natus Vincere surprised the FPS community by moving from a totally Ukrainian-Russian roster to an international one. This included a rumored trade with Apeks and GamerLegion that cost the organization $1.35 million, something that NAVI has since denied. Natus Vincere recently released Denis “electroNic” …
CS2 leaderboard: All we know about the new competitive ladder
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Global Elites from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive would be glad to know that competition will become more intense in CS2. With CS2 leaderboard, the grind won’t stop at a rank badge. Data miners claim that CS2 may have a leaderboard system with a ladder beyond rank. The global and regional ranking will provide rank demons a solid reason to grind beyond Global Elite. CSGO players often jump to Faceit after sailing …
IEM Cologne bids farewell to CSGO with a moment of silence
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne final was special for many reasons, but fans will forever remember the event for its spine-tingling farewell to CSGO. The iconic FPS title that ruled Steam charts and the hearts of fans would be replaced by CS2 any day now. While fans were upset that Valve or the organizer didn’t properly bid farewell to CSGO at the major, ESL has done the job. The sun’s setting on CSGO, …
Counter-Strike has long been among the biggest titles in esports and competitive gaming, even going back to esports’ deepest roots from decades past. What’s more, the game continues going strong today, with developer and publisher Valve releasing the latest iteration of the franchise in 2023. The newest version, Counter-Strike 2, has not been without its issues. But its popularity continues the enduring prominence of the Counter-Strike series, signaling that the venerated franchise is likely here to stay for many years yet to come.
But how did the franchise come be to so prominent in the esports space, and role does CS2 have to play in the industry moving forward?
Counter-Strike has roots in the beginnings of esports
Counter-Strike was unquestionably one of the biggest drivers of what we would today consider to be early professional esports movement. It was far from alone, and it wasn’t the most advanced. That likely was StarCraft: Brood War, a real-time strategy game from famed developer Blizzard that caught on in South Korea and led to a professional scene in the country well ahead of any examples of esports industry elsewhere in the world.
But outside of Korea, Counter-Strike quickly became the driving force behind competitive gaming and esports. First released in 1999 as a modification for popular first-person shooter Half-Life, the game was easy to pick up and play for many gamers. Half-Life was borderline ubiquitous software for gamers with a PC, and adding a mod to it was as simple as downloading and applying said mod. So it was that Counter-Strike began to catch fire and spread across the world.
As it spread, so too did its competitive play. Early competitions often centered around online play, most prominently including the Cyberathlete Amateur League (CAL) in North America and the Clanbase Eurocup in Europe. But live, in-person tournaments, similar to those enjoyed by StarCraft players and fans in Korea, were also rising in prominence.
Within just a few years, there were a number of major annual tournaments being held for the original version of Counter-Strike. Notable international tournament organizers included the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) in the United States, the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) in France, and the World Cyber Games (WCG) in Korea. This was in addition to many other regional tournaments through which teams could test their mettle and battle over smaller prizes.
But even at bigger tournaments, prizes weren’t what they are today, and in general there was far less money available to professional Counter-Strike players than there is in today’s thriving esports industry which sees many players and teams playing at the full-time pro level. That’s a far cry from a time when perhaps a small handful of players were able to make a true living through playing CS alone, and even them, it was often a modest one.
Counter-Strike 2 at the fore of a bigger esports scene than ever before
Counter-Strike 2 was released to a far different esports space than that which the original Counter-Strike occupied. But what exactly is it that has changed the scene so much, besides the accrual of years?
Esports betting is at the top of the list. The sports betting industry is growing and expanding around the world each and every year, and esports has absolutely been a part of that. As esports betting continues to grow and thrive, it brings its benefits to the games that are being bet on. And Counter-Strike 2 is at the top of that list.
These benefits have arrived through a myriad of means. Fan interest in tournaments has gone up and become more consistent with betting markets available for each and every game played, which further incentivizes tournament organizers and their sponsoring partners. But those partners are also now more likely to work with the pro teams and players themselves. Betting operators are among the most common and most generous sponsors in the pro CS2 space, showing how esports betting’s rise has contributed to Counter-Strike’s continued prominence in esports and competitive gaming as a whole.
