Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
We may know the Counter-Strike 2 release date now
Olivia Richman
We are getting closer to knowing the release date for Counter-Strike 2. A lack of updates since the beta has left the Counter-Strike community a bit frustrated. When is CS2 actually coming out? Valve promised a lot of exciting updates, and now players are wondering when they will be able to get their hands on the upgraded version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Now, investigative journalist Richard Lewis has hinted at …
Counter-Strike
RobbaN steps down as FaZe Clan CSGO coach, hints at next move
Olivia Richman
Veteran Counter-Strike coach Robert “RobbaN” Dahlstrom has announced that he’s stepping down as FaZe Clan’s coach to pursue his “next challenge.” Thirty-eight-year-old RobbaN started playing Counter-Strike back in the 1.6 days. Since 2016 the Swedish pro has been with FaZe Clan as a coach and manager throughout the years. He was there when FaZe won ESL One New York 2017 and then PGL Major Antwerp in 2022. Now, RobbaN is …
Counter-Strike
The noob blue gem karambit has sold for $169,000
William Davis
The CSGO skin community went nuts after a total noob unboxed a blue gem karambit, and it’s finally sold for an insane price. Whenever a CSGO player opens a case, there’s always the slight hope of unboxing something insane like an M9 black pearl or pristine Vice gloves. However, the odds of actually getting anything good are slim, and the pinnacles of CSGO skins are rare for a reason. It …
Counter-Strike
Teasers point to Overpass as the next map in CS2
Fariha Bhatti
Valve may be pulling the plug on Nuke soon as players spot teasers for Overpass on Counter-Strike 2 social media. CS2 is still in the testing stages, and like a good developer, Valve is in no hurry. The developer is meticulously testing out each map and ironing out the kinks reported by the players during the beta. After spending a week in CS2, it seems Nuke’s time is over as …
Counter-Strike
The results of ohnePixel’s $130,000 case opening spree
William Davis
ohnePixel used $130,000 of cases for a highly-publicized opening stream, and the results are heartbreaking. Rare Counter-Strike: Global Offensive capsules have become one of the hottest commodities in any digital economy, with the rarest of them all costing upwards of $20,000. ohnePixel lucked into a couple of those exact ones, along with over $80,000 worth of weapon skin crates thanks to a mysterious donor, and he decided to open them …
Counter-Strike
Iconic Door Stuck meme returns to CS2 in a new bug
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike 2 is still in beta so everyone had expected a litany of bugs. But the iconic “Door Stuck” cameo on Nuke has taken everyone by surprise. Valve recently swapped out Mirage for Nuke, bringing a change of scenery to CS2’s dusty pool. Most players were glad Mirage is gone, even though Nuke isn’t their top favorite map due to its confusing layout. However, it’s surely no longer a boring …
Counter-Strike
ohnePixel planning $100,000 case opening, here’s how to watch
William Davis
The biggest case opening in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive history is about to go down and ohnePixel will be its gracious host. Ludwig “Anomaly” Lagerstedt made history with his $10,000+ case opening in 2021, but fellow skin aficionado ohnePixel is set to shatter his record with more than ten times the value of that unboxing. A massive donation from a fan has given him the opportunity to open $100,000 worth of …
Counter-Strike
Inferno is unrecognizably scenic in Counter-Strike 2
Fariha Bhatti
Inferno is one of the confirmed maps for the competitive Counter-Strike 2 pool, and new leaks have revealed the first look at the artsy masterpiece. Inferno is easily one of the most eye-pleasing maps in CS2. The antique architecture, distant sounds of a horse stable, and the melodic violin make Inferno a wholly spiritual experience. But nothing is serene about the map thanks to cut-throat corners that aid killer duels. …
How to Trade in CS2: A Beginner’s Guide to Skins Trading
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Skin trading is becoming increasingly popular every day, with numerous players exchanging their skins for various purposes. Some are collectors, while others do it for profit. Regardless of your motive, there are some essential pieces of information you should know to succeed in skin trading. This includes understanding specific details, knowing which skins to trade, and protecting yourself from scams and fraud. Let’s dive into the world of skin trading! …
CS2 players turn grenade inspection into a sexual meme
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 isn’t officially here, but memes have already surfaced. Valve now lets you inspect a grenade, and the new feature has turned into an odd meme. CS2 is still in the final stages of development, as Valve keeps adding finishing touches and visual upgrades. Recently, Mirage was swapped out for Nuke, but the developer also added a brand new grenade inspection feature in CS2. Meaning players can look at …
Valve adds two new maps to CS2 beta, removes Mirage
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Seasoned Counter-Strike players would be pleased to discover that Mirage has been removed from Counter-Strike 2 beta. CS2 beta kicked off in March 2023 with Dust 2 as the only playable location. Eventually, Valve swapped out the dusty map for Mirage during the second beta wave, but players weren’t thrilled about the change. Now, the developer has removed Mirage as the only map, adding Nuke into the mix. In June …
Over $2 million in CSGO skins are gone after ban wave
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Millions of dollars worth of CSGO skins have been lost forever after 40 big-time trader accounts were banned on Steam. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin trading has remained lucrative throughout the years and it’s set to continue when Counter-Strike 2 drops. Recently, however, Valve has been cracking down on some trader accounts seemingly without warning, possibly in association with gambling sites. Recently, 40 expensive accounts were banned in alleged relation to …
Will CS2 be free to play? Here’s what we know
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Currently, CS2 is only available to the most hardcore of CSGO grinders, but will the game be free for all once it releases this summer? Counter-Strike 2 hype has reached a fever pitch, with the new buy mechanics and Mirage map switch once again piquing players’ interest. As we inch closer and closer to release, players are coming up with just as many questions as Valve is answering. One of …
CSGO players accuse Valorant of copying Deagle animation
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
CSGO players are accusing Riot of copying the infamous Deagle inspect animation for the latest Neo Frontier sheriff. Valorant skins are as popular as its major competitor Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin store. While Valorant cosmetics may not be lucrative, they are a visual treat thanks to vibrant colors and immersive VFX. However, Riot has never shied away from taking a page from CSGO’s book. CSGO players think the Valorant developer …
Will CS2 launch with a new operation? Here’s what we know
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CS2 is just a couple of months away at max, and a new operation would be the perfect way to welcome fans to the new engine. Despite a lull following the official announcement, Counter-Strike 2 hype is back in full swing. The map change to Mirage and new buy menu system is revolutionizing the beta, and players and pros alike are looking forward to the final release. However, casuals may …
A hilarious CS2 missing texture glitch is trolling players
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CS2 upgraded nearly all aspects of Counter-Strike, but one classic missing texture is back to mess with players’ heads. Valve is continuing to drum up hype for the official release of Counter-Strike 2, and the recent map switch to Mirage and changes to the buy menu have piqued players’ interest. However, one tiny bit of polish seems to have flown under the company’s radar. By using a mechanic unique to …
Astralis drops CSGO veteran gla1ve in a summer roster revamp
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Astralis is going through a full-fledged rebuild, which means the red banner is dropping its veteran Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander after a seven-year stint. Astralis has undergone multiple changes in the past few years, striving to regain its former glory. However, all roster tweaks have yielded no fruitful outcome. The organization has finally decided to rebuild from the ground up, with the exception of Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz. But fans would be …
Stats reveal which country has the best ELO for FACEIT CSGO
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Think your country has the best FACEIT ELO in CSGO? If your summers are warm, you’re probably wrong. FACEIT ELO is the closest thing Counter-Strike players have to a definitive skill rating. Competition is fierce on the top matchmaking service, and pro players use it to hone both their tournament skills and ELO rating. Europe has always been a hotbed of tactical shooting skill, but as many EU players know, …
IEM Fall returns to Sydney after a four year hiatus
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Australia will once again host the high-octane chain of IEM events. The IEM Fall tournament is tied to the inaugural SXSW 2023 festival slated for October. In 2019, when IEM took place in Sydney, nobody knew it would be the last event in Australia for a long time. Despite a thrill-filled arena, IEM didn’t happen on Australian soil for full four years. Now, it’s returning, and players can barely contain …
Dragon Lore skin sells for $265,000 ahead of CS2 release
William Davis
Counter-Strike
A Dragon Lore decked out in iBP Katowice holos just sold for an insane amount of money. The CSGO skin market is in a frenzy thanks to the imminent release of Counter-Strike 2. Top-tier skins have been selling for insane amounts, with even more niche skins fetching six-digit prices. Now, a truly top-tier AWP deal has gone through, possibly making it the final real estate-sized deal before the Source 2 port. …
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.
