Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Legendary North American org Cloud9 returns to CSGO
Fariha Bhatti
Cloud9 has returned to the top of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene by signing the former Gambit Esports roster. The North American esports organization has officially returned from a CSGO hiatus after undergoing a “colossus” fail. Cloud9 has quite a storyline in CSGO, but the new signing seems promising. In an understated announcement, the organization has officialized the new lineup. The news comes as a surprise for those who hadn’t …
Counter-Strike
Nigma Galaxy Female opens up on women’s CSGO, online era
William Davis
The online era hit women’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive even harder than men’s, according to the world’s best female team. WIN.gg had the opportunity to speak with Nigma Galaxy Female, the highest-level women’s CSGO team in the world. Nigma Galaxy recently qualified for ESEA Main in Europe, becoming only the second female team in history to qualify for the prestigious circuit. The team’s players answered questions about the tournament grinding experience, …
Counter-Strike
The best CSGO practice config and commands for climbing ranks in 2022
Fariha Bhatti
Shooting your way through Deathmatch may polish your aim, but some solo practice is crucial in high-level Counter-Strike: Global Offensive games. That’s why players hungry to climb ranks are looking for the best CSGO practice config and commands in 2022. Limiting your practice regime to improving your aim is one of the reasons many players are hard stuck in low ranks. High-ELO games require map knowledge and utility usage, not just …
Counter-Strike
Rare bomb spawn glitch hits pro CSGO game in double overtime
William Davis
The infamous bomb spawn glitch may be rare, but it has now affected a pro CSGO match deep into overtime. The ugly glitch has reared its head at the European Regional Major Rankings event. During a crucial round being played between pro teams Eternal Fire and Dignitas, the bomb simply failed to spawn at the beginning of the round. The glitch occurred during a very important match that would determine …
Counter-Strike
cadiaN and gla1ve get in a fist fight at ESL Pro League
William Davis
Casper “cadiaN” Møller and Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander allegedly got into a physical fight at ESL Pro League Season 15. The information was revealed by prominent esports journalist Richard Lewis during a recent episode of the Pop Flash, a CSGO podcast. Lewis stated that he received inside information from ESL Pro League about the scuffle. It’s not clear which player between Heroic and Astralis’ in-game leaders started the fight, but the …
Counter-Strike
ENCE is back on top after EPL 15, but who is the new lineup?
William Davis
After a phenomenal performance at ESL Pro League Season 15, ENCE is once again reminding CSGO fans how EZ tournaments can be. After clawing its way through a very difficult group stage and an even harder playoffs bracket, ENCE is now a contender for the top tier of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports. The team took home $90,000 after a competitive 1-3 loss to FaZe Clan in the grand finals. While …
Counter-Strike
The Olofboost has returned to Overpass, here’s how to do it
William Davis
A new triple Overpass boost has shades of Fnatic’s Olofboost play from 2014. An enterprising group of aspiring players has discovered a new three-man boost on Overpass that strongly resembles the famous Olofboost. The exploit, which will almost definitely get patched in a future update, was first publicized by a French FACEIT team. While not legal in a tournament setting, there’s nothing stopping players from using this strategy in official …
Counter-Strike
What does CSGO being ported to Source 2 mean for CSGO players?
Steven Rondina
News is once again swirling that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is set to be moved to Source 2. While this has been a steady talking point throughout CSGO’s entire existence, not everyone really knows what it would actually mean for CSGO players. Source 2 is a game engine designed by Valve that has been used by the publisher since 2015. It’s the successor to 2004’s Source engine, which ran Left 4 …
FaZe Clan vs Natus Vincere ESL Pro League betting analysis
William Davis
Counter-Strike
FaZe and Natus Vincere don’t have to be the only ones making money from ESL Pro League. Savvy bettors can soon get in on the action. ESL Pro League Season 15 is already a fantastic tournament for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans. Movistar Rider’s undefeated group stage run and the return of Ninjas in Pyjamas’ peak form is entertaining enough, but now fans get to look forward to a firecracker match …
What animals appear in CSGO? You may be surprised
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can be very competitive, but fun little details on the map keep the tone light when needed. There’s a lot to casually enjoy on CSGO maps, from picturesque scenery to cute animals. Valve has rolled out a multitude of locations in the Counter-Strike franchise that have left a lasting impression on long-time fans. These maps are tactically created to balance winning opportunities for both sides. But after …
CSGO graphics could look worse on Source 2, here’s why
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Source 2 should logically be a graphics improvement for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but previous Valve transfers have shown that this may not be the case. With Source 2 rumors swirling around once again, CSGO fans are getting excited over next-gen graphics after 10 years. While the new lighting engine and texture qualities will definitely look amazing in-game, CSGO also has a lot to lose in the transition. Based on Dota …
Will your PC still run CSGO after the Source 2 engine update?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Source 2 could mean a whole lot of new features for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but does it also mean there will be a need for new computer parts for CSGO players and fans? Rumors about CSGO being ported to Source 2 are flaring up again, but this time they seem too real to just be rumors. If Valve finally does transfer CSGO to the Source 2 engine, it will mean …
If CSGO goes to Source 2, will it get a beta? How will it work?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive could be getting a massive makeover for its 10th anniversary, and any Source 2 update should come with an open beta. CSGO on Source 2 is looking more likely by the day. Dataminers revealed several mentions of the tactical shooter in the code for Valve’s more advanced game engine just a few days ago. While not definitive, these few lines of code could hint toward a massive …
CSGO player makes real-life chickens open a CSGO case
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive clutch cases store some of the most sought-after skins and one player bestowed the responsibility of unlocking it to his chickens. CSGO easily has the most bankable skin inventories in the FPS genre, curating an entire community of players trading cosmetics for real money. The prolific market stocks thousands of unique guns that ultimately come from case drops. While casual fans like to purchase skins from the …
CSGO player count hits 1 million for 1st time in almost a year
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is enjoying a serious resurgence in recent months, and it has now hit a major milestone once again. On April 3, 2022, CSGO hit 1 million concurrent players and peaked at 1,013,237 according to Steam Charts. This is the first time the game has hit a seven-figure player count since May 2021. This milestone being reached now may seem random to some, but it isn’t particularly surprising. …
CSGO logo takes aim at Fortnite in a battle at Reddit Place
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has found a permanent spot in Reddit Place, but the placement takes shots at another popular shooter. Reddit Place has returned to celebrate April Fools’ Day 2022 and with it comes groups of Reddit users dedicated to showing off their community. The popular CSGO subreddit r/GlobalOffensive is one such group. The community collaborated to create a CSGO logo that takes up the entire upper left-hand corner of …
CSGO’s move to Source 2 may happen soon, reports suggest
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s 10th anniversary is around the corner and rumors of its porting to Source 2 are reaching a fever pitch. Is CSGO moving to Source 2 anytime soon? Valve has just announced CSGO10 to commemorate the game’s 10th birthday, but data miners believe more than stickers are in the works. The rumors of CSGO moving to a more-advanced Source 2 engine have been rife for almost five years, …
CSGO coach exploits similar to the spectator bug have been revealed
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s infamous spectator bug wasn’t the only one. More CSGO coach exploits were discovered during the investigation. The 2020 spectator bug that led to coaches getting banned has again become a hot topic. More coaches could land under the ban hammer due to a continued investigation, but that’s not all. The force behind the investigation, Michal Slowinski, revealed that he dug up similar exploits that still exist in …
You can now get a sticker in CSGO for its 10th anniversary
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
The legendary first-person shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is turning 10 soon, and Valve is set to celebrate the event. The developer has announced the CSGO10 sticker contest to commemorate the anniversary. Since its release in 2012, CSGO has managed to net a massive player base and create a thriving esports ecosystem. Valve’s labor of love has set a precedent for both video game developers and fans. In 2022, a decade …
More CSGO coaches may be banned for spectator bug in near future
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
It’s possible that more Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coaches will be banned in the near future for using an infamous spectator bug. According to a report by Dexerto, the Esports Integrity Commission is finalizing two investigations into the infamous coaching bug that revolved around a spectator glitch that gave unfair information to teams. 37 coaches have already been banned since the bug was discovered in 2020. But as many as 52 …
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.
