Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
CS2 announces X-Ray Scanners for cases, here’s what it means
Fariha Bhatti
Valve has come up with a new way to make CS2 cases more palatable in Germany, where loot boxes are under strict scrutiny amid the country’s concerns around gambling. Here’s how CS2 X-Ray Scanners work, and what it means for players. It’s not exactly a secret that CS2 cases rely heavily on chance, making them awfully similar to a scratch ticket or even a loot box. Paying for a red-tier …
News
New York sues game developer Valve, alleges gambling promotion
Khizar Mundia
The US state of New York has filed a lawsuit against Valve Corporation, claiming as it sues the industry giant that an in-game mechanic that the developer uses and promotes in multiple popular titles is too similar to gambling. The lawsuit specifically targets loot boxes, an in-game mechanic that players unlock using real-life money for a chance to win in-game prizes. The rewards are sought after and traded, often using …
Esports Betting
PARIVISION vs Vitality at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Final preview, picks
Fariha Bhatti
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 has its CS2 finalists locked in, and with PARIVISION reaching its second S-tier final of the year, our betting preview considers whether the team can complete its Cinderella run on the big stage versus tournament favorite Vitality. PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 has been full of surprises thus far, but PARIVISION saved the biggest for last. After knocking out MOUZ in the semifinals, the Russian core now faces Vitality, …
Esports Betting
The MongolZ vs Vitality at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Semifinal preview
Fariha Bhatti
By knocking out FURIA, The MongolZ have ensured Vitality avoids one of its most dangerous match-ups at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, but that result now puts the Mongolian side face-to-face with the tournament’s biggest favorite in the semifinal. Here’s how our preview sees this match shaping up for bettors. The MongolZ is a team not to be taken lightly, but on most days, a Vitality match-up wouldn’t spark much debate given …
The MongolZ vs Furia at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Playoff preview, picks
Steven Rondina
Esports Betting
The MongolZ and Furia are set to face off in the PGL Cluj-Napoca playoffs, and it’s an interesting matchup for bettors between two quality teams looking to stake a claim at the top of the CS2 esports scene. Match PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 Playoffs Kick-off February 20, 2026 at 12 pm ET Top pick Furia wins 2-1 Betting favorite Furia The main event of the quarterfinals is undoubtedly The MongolZ vs …
NAVI vs MOUZ at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026: Quarterfinal preview
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 has reached its playoffs stage, and after NAVI scraped in at the last possible moment it gets a real test: Can it hold its ground against a far more stable MOUZ? Here’s our match preview. The group stage of Cluj-Napoca 2026 mostly went by the script until the final round, when FaZe crashed out in a shock exit. NAVI’s survival turned just as many heads, but the …
NAVI vs G2 at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026: Swiss stage preview, picks
Steven Rondina
Esports Betting
There are just three spots left in the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 playoffs, and as NAVI and G2 Esports will soon go head-to-head for one of them, our preview breaks down the match, its odds, and the best picks bettors can make. Match PGL Cluj-Napoca Group Stage Kick-off February 18, 2026 at 11 am ET Top pick G2 wins Betting favorite NAVI The top contenders of the tournament have already earned …
G2 vs HEROIC at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Round 4 preview, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
After losing two games in a row at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, G2 Esports finds itself in an elimination round against HEROIC. Will it even be able to beat a team that’s currently out of the top 20? Our match preview for this clash between G2 and HEROIC breaks down the odds. G2 may still be on Valve’s invite list thanks to its ranking in Europe, but its recent results haven’t …
FURIA vs Falcons at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Swiss stage preview, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Round 3 of the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 swiss stage opens with FURIA vs Falcons, a matchup between two sides riding solid recent form, and with a spot in round 4 on the line, our preview breaks down who holds the odds edge and why. FURIA came close to its late 2025 form at IEM Krakow 2026, setting up PGL Cluj-Napoca as the perfect stage to finally claim a desired victory. …
Vitality vs G2 Esports at PGL Cluj-Napoca: Match preview, picks
Steven Rondina
Esports Betting
Team Vitality took home back-to-back Major trophies in 2025 and looks set for a great 2026, with G2 lined up to potentially be just the first victim in PGL Cluj-Napoca, as our match preview indicates. Match PGL Cluj-Napoca Group Stage Kick-off February 14, 2026 at 9 am EST Top pick Vitality wins 2-0 Betting favorite Vitality wins Both Vitality and G2 are both looking sharp coming out of the December …
FURIA vs Vitality at the IEM Krakow 2026 finals: Preview, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Team Vitality runs into its Achilles’ heel once again, facing off with FURIA in the IEM Krakow 2026 Grand Final. Can it produce a different result this time? Here’s what our IEM Krakow betting preview suggests. After a brief gap following BLAST Bounty and the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, these two rivals find themselves across the bracket once again, and this time with a trophy on the line. It’s been …
FURIA vs Spirit at IEM Krakow 2026: Preview, predictions, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
FURIA gets a chance at redemption at IEM Krakow 2026 after its recent losses near the finish line, but it’s up against one of the top teams in the current scene in the form of Team Spirt, and out preview shows how the match is expected to shape up for bettors looking to place wagers. IEM Krakow 2026’s semifinal brackets don’t look especially shocking, with many of the usual top …
G2 vs MOUZ at IEM Krakow 2026: Preview, predictions, picks
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
While a hot run by G2 has raised more than a few eyebrows given its recent form and VRS ranking, the real test comes in its IEM Krakow 2026 quarterfinals match against MOUZ, a bout that our betting preview breaks down in full. VRS rankings don’t carry as much weight in betting markets as they once did, especially with several long-established teams falling outside the top 10 in 2026. G2 …
G2 vs Team Spirit IEM Krakow Group A: Preview, predictions
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Team Spirit secured a direct berth to IEM Krakow 2026, but G2’s form heading into Group A makes this far from a comfortable matchup, as our G2 vs Team Spirit betting preview breaks down the odds for bettors looking to place wagers on this hotly-anticipated bout. IEM Krakow 2026 is nearing its business end, with group finals setting the stage before the playoff bracket takes shape. The first of those …
IEM Krakow 2026 gets a daily betting reward promo at BC.Game
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
As one of the most anticipated CS2 tournaments of the new year, IEM Krakow 2026 is now underway, and BC.Game has rolled out a betting promo featuring daily rewards that’s aimed at players who plan to place regular wagers on the event’s matches. Large Counter-Strike 2 events like IEM Krakow 2026 give bettors more chances to bet and win, especially those who best understand the game. Esports betting relies on …
How NEEX turned pro CSGO fame into a Kick streaming career
M Alzamora
Kick
Sebastian “NEEX” Trela first made a name for himself as a Polish professional Counter-Strike player, but the CSGO veteran has now grown far beyond those beginnings through the power of streaming on Kick. Video game content is among the most-streamed broad categories on Kick. This can include everything from the open-worlds of Grand Theft Auto V to a competitive game like popular MOBA League of Legends. Many fans like to …
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.
Esports Betting
Esports Betting
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
