Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Fan discovers potential reason behind slow CS2 beta access
William Davis
Developments on Counter-Strike 2 have been stagnant since its bombshell reveal, and the reason may not be what you expect. Fans are chomping at the bit for more CS2 news, but close to nothing has come out about the engine refresh since the launch of the limited beta test. Valve is notoriously quiet about future projects, but it would make sense to keep the hype train rolling. However, a massive …
Counter-Strike
Blue gem AK-47 and karambit combo sells for $500,000
William Davis
Another massive skin deal just went down in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with a blue gem AK-47 and karambit selling for over $500,000. Blue gems are the pinnacle of most CSGO skin collections, but just like pet rabbits or reptiles, they can get lonely by themselves. This is totally why one CSGO collector dropped over $500,000 on a blue gem combo featuring two of the most coveted skins in the game. …
Counter-Strike
These are statistically the best CSGO players in 2023
William Davis
Every FACEIT player hopes to gain some sweet, sweet ELO with every win, and these pros have racked up the highest rankings in the entire world. Third-party matchmaking services have become the de facto standard for top-level play in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Valve matchmaking, with its mediocre anti-cheat and 64-tick servers, just doesn’t cut it. However, server providers like FACEIT also allow for a more in-depth rating system than Valve’s …
Counter-Strike
Ceiling collapse during CSGO game forces player to end stream
Fariha Bhatti
A game of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive may have just saved a Twitch streamer from a ceiling collapse. CSGO streamers are known for their ability to come up with unique and engaging content, but there are situations that are beyond their control, like ceilings collapsing mid-stream. Not every day do you see a streamer playing CSGO while a roof casually caves in the background. But that’s exactly what happened to Dylastein. …
Counter-Strike
Shooting in Counter-Strike 2 will be easier, here’s why
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike 2 is removing all excuses for poor performance and whiffed shots as leaks scoop out hitbox changes for all player models. Aiming in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is no cakewalk, so it’s understandable if players find themselves struggling on some days. However, Valve is tweaking the skill ceiling in CS2 by making shooting comparatively easier. So far, leaks have discovered significant changes to hitboxes that’d aid players in landing headshots. …
Counter-Strike
New smoke trick in CS2 creates a jaw-dropping one-way
Fariha Bhatti
The new Counter-Strike 2 smokes are volumetric objects, meaning they no longer rotate randomly. But it’s still possible to do one-way smokes. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, smokes were lighter at the edges, rotating in a way that created a one-way window at the corner. Players had created proper lineups to pop heads through the smokes, and it was tactically incredible. But, in CS2, the infamous one-way mechanic no longer works …
Counter-Strike
CS2 testers are calling for an open beta, here’s why
William Davis
The limited beta test for Counter-Strike 2 is insanely exclusive, which has led to calls for an earlier open beta. The most exciting part of the CS2 announcement was the beta test, with all Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players hoping to get into the extremely exclusive affair. However, the lucky few who got in are now decrying the beta for its limited player count. Now, fans want Valve to switch CS2 …
Counter-Strike
Pros are suspicious of CS2 subtick servers, here’s why
William Davis
Subtick is supposed to be one of the most advanced gameplay changes coming in Counter-Strike 2, but the future CS2 pro community has its doubts. The few players who managed to get into the CS2 limited beta test have now had time to evaluate the new gameplay changes, including the flashy new subtick servers. However, the reception has been mixed, with some pros claiming that 128 tick will remain the …
New Counter-Strike 2 update proves Valve is finally listening to the players
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike fans are hard to please, but recent release notes received positive feedback from players after Valve added a new feature over fans’ requests. Counter-Strike 2 was released with three significant changes alongside numerous tiny upgrades. Keen players have been discussing new changes in social media threads, providing valuable feedback for Valve. But no one was expecting that Valve would deliver the upgrades right away. Besides unique smokes, CS2 also …
Counter-Strike 2 wallhack disabled, but players found a new one
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
The in-game wallhack in Counter-Strike was recently removed after fans brought it to Valve’s attention, but a new command has resurfaced, and it’s much worse. Fans weren’t expecting a flawless Counter-Strike 2 during the beta, but they definitely weren’t anticipating in-game wallhacks. A few days ago, Ohnepixel and fl0m came across a game-breaking command that triggered wallhacks during a game in Counter-Strike 2. All enemies would be highlighted in green …
How much money do CSGO skin traders actually make?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Skins can be big money in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and committing to them as a real job can yield massive returns. It’s often thought that CSGO traders are in it for the love of the game, but many of them make a shockingly large amount of money by trading digital assets. The relatively unknown industry has finally been analyzed by EX CORP, and the results are surprising. Despite taking just …
New high jump mechanic in Counter-Strike 2 lets players self-boost
Fariha Bhatti
News
Movement is a big part of the Counter-Strike franchise, and now Valve seems to be taking it to another level in Counter-Strike 2. Since the early renditions of Counter-Strike, surf matches have been the bread and butter of serious players. Bunny hopping, high jumps, cutting shortcuts, all of this and more can be game-changing in high-stake games since every second matters. Now, Counter-Strike 2 is here, and players are sure …
Counter-Strike 2 has a legal command that lets you wallhack
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Since Counter-Strike 2 is still in beta, it is reasonable to anticipate minor bugs. But there’s a whole wallhack command in Counter-Strike 2 — and Valve is aware. Counter-Strike has always had a cheating problem, but players had high hopes from the latest Source 2 port. While Valve is tight-lipped about the anti-cheat updates, fans had expected that the cheating issue would somehow mitigate in the new game. But, not …
All the CSGO skins guides you’ll ever need are here
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is all about drip. If you’re looking for guides to the wide world of CSGO skins, WIN.gg has you covered. At times, it can seem like CSGO players care more about the skins than the actual game. For many, this is literally true, with investors putting hundreds of thousands, if not millions, into the market. However, even casual fans can get joy out of humble skins. If …
Valve is toying with the idea of colorful Counter-Strike 2 smokes
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 smokes are slightly tinted for each side, but leakers claim Valve could go all out with smoke colors in the future. If you haven’t noticed, smokes in Counter-Strike 2 are different for CTs and Ts. For the CT side, the smoke is slightly bluish, whereas the T smokes are dustier. Clearly, Valve is open to the idea of tinted smokes, so Gabe Follower’s new findings don’t sound that …
Counter-Strike 2 has an insane new Follow Recoil setting
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Gunplay is at the heart of Counter-Strike 2, and Valve has made a secret modification that’ll help players shoot better. Here’s what Follow Recoil means in Counter-Strike 2. CSGO and all Counter-Strike games take inspiration from real-life shooting mechanics, and in reality, a weapon doesn’t shoot a dozen bullets in a straight line. Instead, there’s recoil and spread, which is why new CSGO players spend months getting the hang of …
VAC will get an insane new feature in Counter-Strike 2
William Davis
Counter-Strike
VAC is getting a massive upgrade in Counter-Strike 2, including a highly-requested feature that will save everyone valuable time. Running into a cheater is the fastest way to cut your Counter-Strike: Global Offensive session short. While Valve has made big steps to fix the problem, including massive ban waves, an engine swap is the perfect time to implement new solutions. According to players in the limited beta test, VAC is …
Counter-Strike 2 just gave Valorant players an idea for next agent
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Counter-Strike 2 hype is also getting to Valorant, as players come up with an agent idea inspired by Source 2 smokes. Counter-Strike 2 has new smokes that react with the environment and let bullets pass through. If you’re committed to exploiting the new feature, you can even defuse the smoke entirely for a few seconds using HE or Negev. While this game-changing feature sounds exceedingly annoying, it also encourages gunplay. …
Will CSGO still be playable during Counter-Strike 2?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
It may seem silly to keep playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive when Counter-Strike 2 drops this summer, but there are plenty of valid reasons to keep it around. Counter-Strike 2 has the CSGO community popping off with every new detail, announcement, and bug. However, the limited beta test still isn’t playable for the majority of fans, leaving them stuck in CSGO. While everyone is clamoring to test the new maps and …
Valve announces first major tournament for Counter-Strike 2
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive had a good run, but Valve has already confirmed a Counter-Strike 2 major before the game has even released. Pro and casual players alike are loving the new features in Counter-Strike 2. From reactive smokes to subtick servers, community response has been almost entirely positive. This is great news for the game’s esports scene, which will take full advantage of the new tricks possible in Source 2. …
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.
