Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Valve adds two new maps to CS2 beta, removes Mirage
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Counter-Strike
Over $2 million in CSGO skins are gone after ban wave
Olivia Richman
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 …
Counter-Strike
Will CS2 be free to play? Here’s what we know
William Davis
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 …
Counter-Strike
CSGO players accuse Valorant of copying Deagle animation
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Counter-Strike
Stats reveal which country has the best ELO for FACEIT CSGO
William Davis
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, …
Counter-Strike
IEM Fall returns to Sydney after a four year hiatus
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Counter-Strike
Dragon Lore skin sells for $265,000 ahead of CS2 release
William Davis
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
CSGO streamer dies in war combat at 21
William Davis
Ukrainian Counter-Strike streamer Oni has passed away fighting a war, his family has confirmed. According to social media posts by his friends and family, CSGO streamer Ostop “Oni” Onistrat has passed away. His death occurred while fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine, an event that continues to greatly affect international esports. Oni was only 21 years old at the time of his passing. The exact circumstances of his …
CS2 VAC Live is so good that players think it’s bugged
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 players weren’t particularly happy when Valve revealed VAC would stay, but now it seems the new VAC Live is too good to be true. In CSGO, cheaters had a pass to do whatever they pleased without the fear of getting banned immediately. Annual ban waves would wipe out a percentage of them, but advanced hackers would still thrive. But CS2’s VAC Live seems like a game-changer if the …
Pros unite in harmony to trash CS2 movement
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Have you noticed that your movement is a little off in CS2? You’re not alone. CS2 brought a ton of cool changes to Counter-Strike, including enhanced graphics and reactive smokes. But one of the biggest changes has significantly impacted what many pros consider the most important part of the game — and not in a good way. Movement has come under heavy fire from pro players, with many calling it …
Massive shotgun and VAC buff added in new CS2 update
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CS2 is adding a ton of gameplay changes to the Counter-Strike, and the latest update will make shotgun buyers very happy. Valve has finally updated the limited beta test for Counter-Strike 2, swapping out Dust 2 for Mirage and tweaking gameplay to better reflect the new mechanics. Chief among these changes is a massive buff to shotguns, which now blast through smoke grenades similarly to frag grenades. It also includes …
Players can now cook chicken roast in Counter-Strike 2
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Craving some chicken? Just load up Counter-Strike 2 and get them freshly roasted in an incendiary! Valve has added a wealth of new content to CS2, and now the developer is clearly going overboard with updates, and we don’t mind. After overhauling loadout and plucking out Dust 2, Valve has added an edible item to CS2, except you can’t actually eat it. Roast chickens are there to be admired and …
A new map is finally in the Counter-Strike 2 beta
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
The Counter-Strike 2 beta is finally getting another map. The CS2 beta has been getting some mixed reviews from streamers and pro players, largely complaints about the repetitiveness of the limited content. Competitive players were stuck on one map, Dust II since the beta came out at the end of March. After a while, the single map pool caused the beta’s player count to dwindle. But now, CS2 players are …
CS2 will let players refund guns, equip both CT rifles
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Just when everyone assumed Valve had forgotten about Counter-Strike 2, the developer unveiled jaw-dropping updates. CS2 release date is looming on the horizon, and Valve has started revealing more updates, features, and changes coming to its hit FPS title. After reactive smokes, squeaky-clean visuals, and a sub-tick system, Valve has introduced a new feature inspired by its rival shooter game, Valorant. Valorant has had enough flak for “copy-pasting” CSGO gameplay, …
What do pro players think about CS2? karrigan, NertZ, and more
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CS2 is on its way, but pro players are harshly criticizing everything from its new servers to the headline gameplay change. Counter-Strike 2 will completely change the game when it releases this summer, and it will bring a lot more than just updated graphics. The switch to Source 2 will include a brand-new “tickless” server system along with gameplay changes to smokes. There will be tons to explore, but not …
Jak działa system kwalifikacji do Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 w Counter-Strike 2 to jedno z najbardziej oczekiwanych wydarzeń e-sportowych, przyciągające najlepsze zespoły z całego świata, które rywalizują o tytuł mistrza w tej popularnej grze. 1 maja Valve ogłosiło zestaw zasad dotyczących kwalifikacji do grudniowego CS2 Shanghai Major. Zmiany wywołały mieszane reakcje, gdyż ograniczają one pojawianie się mixów w końcowych etapach kwalifikacji. W tym artykule omawia nowe zasady selekcji do Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 …
karrigan at IEM Dallas, “You will never see FaZe give up”
William Davis
Counter-Strike
FaZe captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen is leaving IEM Dallas with high hopes for the future of Counter-Strike. FaZe Clan had a troubled run at IEM Dallas, running into eventual champion ENCE twice and being eliminated from the tournament in third place. However, the team’s in-game leader is taking the loss well. On championship Sunday, WIN.gg spoke with karrigan to learn his thoughts on FaZe’s new problem matchup, how the squad …
ENCE is the Cinderella champion of IEM Dallas CSGO
William Davis
Counter-Strike
IEM Dallas has found an unlikely champion in ENCE, with the international squad reaching a new peak in 2023. After seven days of intense competition featuring many of the world’s top teams, ENCE has emerged victorious at IEM Dallas. The underdog victory included wins over Complexity, Astralis, and FaZe twice, culminating in a grand final against fellow dark horse MOUZ. ENCE won in two dominant maps, securing the IEM Dallas …
frozen on IEM Dallas grand finals, “Feels great to be back”
William Davis
Counter-Strike
David “frozen” Čerňanský of MOUZ is heading into his first grand final in a long time at IEM Dallas, but he’s as calm as can be. MOUZ is just one match away from pulling off the ultimate Cinderella run in Dallas. The squad has defeated Fnatic, Furia, OG, Astralis, and now event favorite Heroic to earn a spot in the deciding series. Along the way, rifler frozen has put up …
HooXi talks nightmare brackets, pre-match rituals, and CS2 at IEM Dallas
William Davis
Counter-Strike
G2 Esports may be the unluckiest team at IEM Dallas, but captain Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen isn’t using bracket demons as an excuse. Despite entering as a serious championship contender, G2’s run was ultimately cut short by losses to Heroic in the group stage and FaZe Clan in the playoffs. The star-studded lineup will be leaving Texas in fifth place. Right after the loss, WIN.gg caught a moment with team captain …
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.
