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Boombl4 kicked from Na’Vi, was it over wife’s political views? Counter-Strike Boombl4 kicked from Na’Vi, was it over wife’s political views? By William Davis Are CSGO bots becoming too powerful for players to handle? Counter-Strike Are CSGO bots becoming too powerful for players to handle? By Steven Rondina Ludwig pulls $1,000 knife in his first-ever CSGO case opening Counter-Strike Ludwig pulls $1,000 knife in his first-ever CSGO case opening By Olivia Richman
Gucci launches new CSGO playing academy, but can you join? Counter-Strike
Gucci launches new CSGO playing academy, but can you join? William Davis Aspiring Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players can find an unlikely ally in high-end Italian fashion. Italian fashion studio Gucci and CSGO matchmaking service FACEIT have teamed up to create a training program for aspiring esports professionals. The system, called Gucci Gaming Academy, will prepare young players to join the top level of CSGO esports. Although technically any player can join Gucci Gaming Academy, the program will pull from existing FPL players. …
These are the callouts you must know playing Overpass in CSGO Counter-Strike
These are the callouts you must know playing Overpass in CSGO Steven Rondina Overpass is one of the most enduring maps of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and because of that, any ranked player needs to commit its callouts to memory. Overpass is one of the most popular and notorious maps in competitive CSGO. Though it’s always been below Mirage and Dust 2 in terms of popularity, it’s still stuck around for years. This largely stems from the incredible depth of the map. While other …
These are the most important callouts for CSGO map Nuke Counter-Strike
These are the most important callouts for CSGO map Nuke Steven Rondina Callouts are important on every map in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. There’s no CSGO map where callouts are more important than Nuke, though. Nuke is one of the trickiest maps to play in a solo queue environment. This stems from the fact that it’s one of the few maps built around being tall instead of wide. Nuke effectively has three floors stacked on top of one another. This makes it immensely …
CSGO pros recreate Overpass triple boost exploit during major Counter-Strike
CSGO pros recreate Overpass triple boost exploit during major Fariha Bhatti The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PGL Major Antwerp has registered an iconic moment reminiscent of the infamous Olofboost from 2014.  Valve may have yanked the scandalous Olofboost from the core, but it stays in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in different forms. Overpass has numerous pixel walks that elevate players to killer angles. However, few come close to the greatness of the Olofboost that prompted Valve to put up a “not permitted” warning …
rain leads FaZe Clan to 2-0 win over Na’Vi in CSGO major finals Counter-Strike rain leads FaZe Clan to 2-0 win over Na’Vi in CSGO major finals By William Davis Make your sniping stylish with the best AWP skins in CSGO Counter-Strike Make your sniping stylish with the best AWP skins in CSGO By William Davis This new one-way smoke on Dust 2 lets you easily hold B site Counter-Strike This new one-way smoke on Dust 2 lets you easily hold B site By Fariha Bhatti
Twistzz blasts CSGO pros who switched to Valorant, sees backlash Counter-Strike
Twistzz blasts CSGO pros who switched to Valorant, sees backlash Steven Rondina A number of professional Valorant players are very angry at Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken. The PGL Antwerp Major is going on right now and that has CSGO’s top stars discussing the state of the game. That also results in players discuss CSGO’s rival tactical shooter, Valorant. Twistzz sat down for an interview with CSGO website Dust2 and fielded a question about the state of the game’s …
Magisk’s legit one-way on Mirage is as deadly as a bugged smoke Counter-Strike
Magisk’s legit one-way on Mirage is as deadly as a bugged smoke Fariha Bhatti After days of controversy, Valve has removed the infamous Mirage mid-window smoke. But Emil “Magisk” Reif has found an equally deadly and legitimate alternative. Mirage may be the most balanced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map, but parts of it are a menace to tackle as the attacking Ts. Taking control of mid as Ts is a tall order on Mirage due to a massive AWPers den that is tough to dodge. …
s1mple blasts Valve over Ancient map balance at Antwerp Major Counter-Strike
s1mple blasts Valve over Ancient map balance at Antwerp Major Steven Rondina Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev doesn’t hate Ancient, but it’s fair to say that he hates how Valve has handled the newest map in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s active duty rotation. Natus Vincere secured a 3-0 finish in the PGL Antwerp Major’s Legends Stage by taking a 2-1 victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas. This moves Na`Vi forward to the Champions Stage playoffs and sets the team up with a minimum top-eight placement. It …
Why Katowice 2014 stickers are so incredibly expensive in CSGO Counter-Strike
Why Katowice 2014 stickers are so incredibly expensive in CSGO William Davis Clean design, extreme rarity, and tons of hype are why Katowice 2014 stickers are so expensive in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. CSGO skins are known to fetch ridiculous prices, but stickers tend to be much less expensive. There are a few pricy stickers like the Crown Foil and Howling Dawn, but Katowice 2014 team stickers are the very peak of rare slaps. The cheapest start at over $1,000 and skyrocket up …
The 5 best USP-S skins in CSGO, and which is most expensive Steven Rondina Counter-Strike The USP-S is a powerful pistol in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and there are some very good skins for it. But what are the best USP-S skins in CSGO? There’s obviously some subjectivity in that discussion. One player might like the lowkey leather accents of Business Class, while another might prefer the sparkly magenta of Target Acquired. The good news is that there are choices for everyone. These are the best …
You can play these scary horror maps in CSGO for free Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike Counter-Strike: Global Offensive may be a competitive FPS at its core, but it can be scary and spooky too. Players can spice up their CSGO experience by trying out these free horror maps.  Valve’s FPS has become the go-to shooter in 2022. Most players return to the game for its competitive appeal and dynamic weapons and maps. It has curated a player base that loves a challenge. But while players …
s1mple, other pros defend FalleN from overrated accusations William Davis Counter-Strike After Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo was called the most overrated player in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the entire pro scene rallied back with Oleksandr “s1mple” at the helm. CSGO pros from all over the world have come together to defend and celebrate one of the game’s greatest captains. The row started with a social media post from analyst Duncan “Thorin” Shields claiming that FalleN is the most overrated player in CSGO history. …
ESIC admits initial CSGO coach bug investigation was “lacking” Olivia Richman Counter-Strike The Esports Integrity Commission has released an official statement regarding the ongoing coach bug investigation. The Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association recently shared a statement from ESIC discussing some updates to the ongoing investigation. A coaching bug being exploited in professional CSGO competitions was first investigated in 2020, resulting in more than 30 coaches receiving suspensions from competitive events. The bug allowed coaches to unfairly spectate matches to gain insight into …
Is inspecting weapons the secret to ranking up in CSGO? William Davis Counter-Strike The stats say that inspecting weapons is a core part of reaching Global Elite in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but the stats don’t reveal everything. A recent study shows that higher-ranked players spend a ton of in-game time inspecting their weapon skins. Scope.gg claims that players at Global Elite inspect their weapons more than three times as often as silver-ranked players. Can inspecting your weapon be the secret to ranking up …
This clipping bug got a pro player killed during the CSGO major Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s most consistent and long-standing clipping bug showed up during the ongoing CSGO major, costing a professional player his life and his team a big potential opportunity. CSGO has its fair share of bugs, but Valve is often quick to patch them up. However, some bugs that are less significant on the surface continue to mar the game. In high-stake matches, these minor bugs can make or break …
Here are the 5 best Glock skins and their prices in CSGO William Davis Counter-Strike Looking to up your skin game in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? The Glock is the perfect place to start and here are some of the best skins for it. A common adage for CSGO skins is to upgrade the skins you see the most. Players stare at their knives all the time, but pistols are the second-most common sight. Players love showing off their fancy AK-47 skins, but the Glock is …
ZywOo claims the 1st-ever perfect game at a CSGO Major William Davis Counter-Strike There’s never been a perfect game during a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major. Until now. Team Vitality AWPer Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut has scored the first perfect game in CSGO major history. The sniper ended the opening best-of-one against Complexity with zero deaths. This further cements Vitality as a favorite for the Antwerp Major Challengers Stage. 16-0s are a rare sight in competitive CSGO, but perfect games with zero deaths are even …
KovaaK 3.0 update makes the best aim training game even better William Davis Counter-Strike The KovaaK 3.0 update is bringing map-making tools, upgraded graphics, and more to what is looking like the best aim training game on the market. Aim training game KovaaK has released its highly-anticipated 3.0 update. The patch includes a new map editing system that allows any player to make complex training scenarios. It also comes with a complete graphical overhaul and a ton of performance improvements. The shiniest new toy …
This new Inferno 5-player boost can win you an extra round Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike If you thought the infamous Olofboost on Overpass was deadly, this new discovered 5-player boost on Inferno will blow your mind.  Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the oldest and practiced games. But players continue to find new and exciting strategies. These players prove that the oldest FPS still has much to offer. The same few maps can be played in hundred different ways, keeping the game fresh.  This newly …
Here are the 5 best AK-47 skins in CSGO and what they cost Steven Rondina Counter-Strike The AK-47 is a must-use gun in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but what are the best skins? There are a boatload of different skins for the best assault rifle in the game of all sorts. Some are bright and colorful while others accentuate the normal coloration of the AK-47. But with almost 10 years of skins to pick from, there are loads of options to choose. Here are the best AK-47 …
The best Pick’ems for the CSGO Antwerp Major Challengers stage William Davis Counter-Strike That shiny diamond coin won’t earn itself. Get a head start on it with the best CSGO Antwerp Major Pick’ems predictions. Pick’ems season is back for the Antwerp Major, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans are eager to flex their esports knowledge. Savvy predictors can earn a shiny diamond major coin as well as bonus souvenir coins for their efforts. If you’re looking for predictions on which teams will advance and …

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.