Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Did WarOwl just leak the CSGO Source 2 port release date?
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive YouTuber WarOwl may have leaked details regarding the long-awaited Source 2 port of CSGO. During a recent stream, WarOwl was talking with fans regarding map-making in CSGO. WarOwl has dabbled with map designs since 2019, and a fan commented that he ought to try map editing tool Hammer++, which is a mod pack for Hammer, the map editing tool used for Source games including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. …
Counter-Strike
This new Nuke run boost is your ticket out of silver
Fariha Bhatti
They say Nuke is too CT-sided, but this newly discovered jump boost proves that it might actually be true. According to the stats, Nuke is one of the most Counter-Terrorist sided maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The bombsites require terrorists to move through hazardous entryways and have dangerous layouts with many sightlines for defenders. It’s a tricky situation for the Ts in any sense but tricks reinforce the stats even …
Counter-Strike
Pop heads in style with the best Deagle skins in CSGO
William Davis
The Desert Eagle is an icon in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. From the legendary Juan Deag to mishaps at the majors, the Deagle is a gun of highlights and lowlights. Nothing feels better than beating an AWPer at their own game, and nothing feels worse than emptying a clip without a kill. No matter how your peaks go, you can always appreciate having a fancy skin for your premium pistol. Here …
Counter-Strike
The best M4A1-S skins in CSGO are silent and stylish
William Davis
The M4A1-S is the best CT rifle money can buy, but the best skins for the gun range from a dollar to basically being priceless. Even after the recent nerfs, the M4A1-S is still the best defensive rifle for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players who value precision. Lower-skilled players will start switching back to the M4A4 for its larger magazine and reserve ammo. That means that dropping serious cash on an …
Counter-Strike
The best M4A4 skins in CSGO to buy before the buffs
William Davis
Make your CT side stylish with the five best M4A4 skins in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In the current CSGO metagame, the M4A1-S reigns supreme. The buffs from Operation Riptide have made it superior to the M4A4 and, overpowered according to pros. That may be bad news for M4A4 enjoyers, but it also means that skins for the gun are cheaper than they’ve been for a very, very long time. Now …
Counter-Strike
CSGO Source 2 code hints at vehicles, ray tracing, new crouch
William Davis
New Source 2 code hints at big things for the future of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Source 2 rumors are flaring up again, and new code strings added to the Valve engine may hint at some exciting future features. A keen-eyed Valve fan has discovered several new strings in Source 2 that may refer to CSGO. Among them are references to drivable vehicles, a reworked crouch system, and fancy new graphics …
Counter-Strike
Here’s how to aim train while matchmaking in CSGO
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive matchmaking queues can be long and tedious, but instead of wasting time while waiting, you can actually aim train. Here’s how. CSGO official matchmaking has become deadlier and more challenging over the years. Whether higher skill play is attributed to cheaters or rank demons is unknown, but new players may find silver lobbies highly demanding. Each low rank in CSGO has become more populated by agile players …
Counter-Strike
Team Liquid designs CSGO skins, will they appear in-game?
William Davis
Team stickers are a favorite in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but rocking a skin designed by a pro player is truly next-level. Team Liquid’s CSGO team has designed its own set of custom skins, unique for each player. Each squad member sketched out their dream skins idea, which was then turned into reality by an artist. There’s already plenty of pro scene recognition in CSGO, so a pro-designed case isn’t that …
This new smoke from s1mple actually lets you B-rush on Mirage
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has shared a perfectly slick Mirage’s market window smoke to fool enemies. Mirage ranks as one of the most balanced CSGO maps. The A site is easier to attack, as B rushes can easily be stopped by some grenades or one skilled AWPer. The layout doesn’t necessarily favor either side, which is why it’s one of the most fun maps to compete …
Is your trash CSGO skin secretly expensive? Here’s how to check
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Is there an expensive skin hidden in your blue-rarity trash? Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players can find out with this tip. CSGO skins are commonly known for being expensive, but the vast majority of them are surprisingly cheap. From blues in recent cases to unattractive map skins, there are a ton of skins that aren’t worth much more than an empty inventory slot. But diligent players can sometimes discover a surprisingly …
Boombl4 divorces wife, claims she is blackmailing him
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov is getting divorced from his wife and the drama is spilling out onto social media. Natus Vincere announced the sudden decision to release Boombl4 due to his being a “high reputational risk.” Though many suspected the cause of this was a possible pro-Russia Instagram post made by his wife or a possible move back to Russia for Boombl4, it might have been something else entirely. A video …
Become a CSGO action star with these coop Workshop maps
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Coop maps are the perfect way to unwind from a long day of grinding ranked in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The CSGO Workshop is full of amazing user-created content. From in-depth aim trainers to crosshair generators, there’s a tool to solve nearly every problem CSGO players might run into, including boredom. Coop maps are a perfect way to lighten the mood after a few tough competitive matches. The low-stakes gameplay and …
This molotov lineup is the easiest way to retake Mirage’s A site
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Mirage’s A site is comparatively easier to break into than B, but Counter-Terrorists can still delay the bomb plant using this lineup. Almost all Counter-Strike: Global Offensive maps are biased towards the CTs to some extent, but Mirage’s A site can be a handful. Defending the location against terrorists who know their smokes is no easy feat. A few smokes coupled with molotovs can quickly open the site for a …
Flex on the force buy with the best P90 skins in CSGO
William Davis
Counter-Strike
The best P90 skins will make you call a force buy after every tough round. The P90 has a controversial reputation in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. For experienced CSGO players, it’s a riskier eco option without much going for it. But for those new to the game, the P90’s high rate of fire and relatively low price make it a common sight regardless of economy. No matter how cool your AWP …
Nigma Galaxy becomes first all-female team to win ESL Impact
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Nigma Galaxy has become the first team to win ESL Impact, ESL’s all-female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive circuit. The Euorpean all-female team reverse-swept Brazil’s FURIA in the grand finals in Dallas over the weekend. While Nigma Galaxy started the grand finals in a rough spot against their Brazilian opponents, the focused squad ultimately came back stronger to win the event. Nigma Galaxy also beat BIG EQUIPA in the semifinals on its …
CSGO players can now reproduce smoke through the floor bug
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
The long-standing smoke through the floor bug is no longer random. A player has broken the code to reproduce the curios smoke glitch. It’s no secret that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has had minor bug problems, with grenades suddenly slipping through the ground. When this would randomly happen, the smoke no longer remained a safe hideous. At the time, the bug couldn’t be replicated and it would happen when players least …
Antwerp Major stickers are on sale, are they worth investing in?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
If you’re looking to make a pretty penny off stickers, the Antwerp Major may be a good time to invest. Every Counter-Strike: Global Offensive major brings a ton of new stickers to the game and as every player knows, older slaps can get extremely expensive. With the Antwerp Major stickers now on sale, this is the best time to stock up on autographs and team stickers. But entrepreneurial fans may …
Newly discovered run boost molotov on Overpass is too OP
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Overpass is one of the oldest maps, but its exceptional layout offers opportunities for wild plays. This new run boost molotov on Overpass is an excellent example. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s map pool in 2022 features some of the classic locations like Dust 2, Inferno, Overpass, and more. Players continue to engineer new ways to play these old maps, keeping CSGO as fresh as ever. Especially Overpass, a map that has …
Dr DisRespect one-ups CSGO with skins that players legally own
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Skins are a core part of many popular multiplayer games today, but players usually don’t legally own their fancy cosmetics. Streaming icon Herschel “Dr DisRespect” Beahm IV wants to change that. Dr DisRespect’s new game studio Midnight Society has announced a partnership with technology company Polygon Studios. The joint venture all but confirms rumors that the studio’s upcoming game will involve blockchain technology. According to official information, the studio’s upcoming …
GeT_RiGhT gets $16,000 CSGO birthday present from Trainwreckstv
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund recently celebrated his 31st birthday and he got quite the gift. Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam crashed the festivities with a donation and a gift for GeT_RiGhT during a birthday stream. The streamer purchased the generous gift through high-rolling skin trader zipeL. The gift was a holographic Team Dignitas sticker from the 2014 ESL One Katowice Major. The sticker is exceedingly rare and costs upwards of $16,000. The gift …
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.
