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PGL announces first CSGO major of 2022 will be in Belgium Counter-Strike PGL announces first CSGO major of 2022 will be in Belgium By Fariha Bhatti CSGO streamer banned for shaving private parts live on Twitch Counter-Strike CSGO streamer banned for shaving private parts live on Twitch By William Davis This new software can protect your hearing when playing CSGO Counter-Strike This new software can protect your hearing when playing CSGO By Fariha Bhatti
This Japanese visual novel is CSGO’s weirdest spinoff Counter-Strike
This Japanese visual novel is CSGO’s weirdest spinoff William Davis The Counter-Strike series is full of weird footnotes, but nothing tops the game’s lost visual novel from 2005. Counter-Strike NEO -WHITE MEMORIES- is a visual novel exclusive to Japan that is based on the Counter-Strike franchise. The game was developed entirely by Bandai Namco and released in 2005. While primarily a visual novel, the game also has portions that play out more similarly to Doom than Counter-Strike. While Counter-Strike is …
Are Prime CSGO players getting matched with non-Prime cheaters? Counter-Strike
Are Prime CSGO players getting matched with non-Prime cheaters? William Davis Prime Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players are reporting non-Prime cheaters in their matches. How could this happen? Several posters on CSGO social media have reported playing against cheaters in Prime matchmaking. This is nothing new, but now some are claiming that the opposing team included non-Prime players. Prime is meant to act as a paid safeguard against cheating, but has Valve suddenly changed the rules? Several social media posters have claimed …
Does CSGO take place in the Half-Life universe? Counter-Strike
Does CSGO take place in the Half-Life universe? William Davis The lore for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a mixed bag, and players are wondering if it could be tied with Valve’s landmark Half-Life series. CSGO and Half-Life are undeniably connected. They both use the same engines, share several map assets, and involve shooting a whole bunch of bad dudes. But the connections might not stop there. Valve famously uses the Half-Life universe as the basis for the Portal series, but …
Are CSGO flashbangs causing real-life hearing damage to players? Counter-Strike
Are CSGO flashbangs causing real-life hearing damage to players? William Davis A pro player claims that flashbang grenades can trigger hearing damage in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Team GamerLegion rifler Patrik “Zero” Žúdel claims that the specific frequency emitted by flashbang grenades can cause or exacerbate hearing damage in CSGO players. According to Zero, the sound created by flashbangs is very similar to the tones experienced by people with tinnitus. Don’t expect to see him do the Flashbang Dance anytime soon. CSGO …
CSGO players are spawning out of bounds, is it a hack? Counter-Strike CSGO players are spawning out of bounds, is it a hack? By Fariha Bhatti CSGO casters, talent consider ties with ESL after Saudi buyout Counter-Strike CSGO casters, talent consider ties with ESL after Saudi buyout By William Davis Here’s what we know about CSGO majors in 2022 Counter-Strike Here’s what we know about CSGO majors in 2022 By Fariha Bhatti
This one-way smoke on Mirage by NaVi is a game-changer Counter-Strike
This one-way smoke on Mirage by NaVi is a game-changer Fariha Bhatti Professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players are using this one-way smoke on Mirage, and it’s pretty easy to learn.  Mirage is one of the most balanced CSGO maps. While one side is a piece of cake to break open for terrorists, B site is nothing less than a lion’s den. Opening the tightly packed apartments is a menace, especially if there’s an AWPer holding window. This setup can help enter B …
FACEIT and ESEA merge to create a stronger CSGO anti-cheat Counter-Strike
FACEIT and ESEA merge to create a stronger CSGO anti-cheat Fariha Bhatti What happens when two platforms with the strongest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive anti-cheat programs team up? The new FACEIT and ESL merger is bringing some positive changes to CSGO. An air-tight anti-cheat program is on top of the company’s list to improve the gaming experience. The Saudi-backed Savvy Gaming Group’s acquisition of FACEIT and ESL might be surrounded by controversy, but it might solve CSGO’s long-standing hacker problem. According to the …
How will CSGO players be affected by ESL, FACEIT, Saudi merger? Counter-Strike
How will CSGO players be affected by ESL, FACEIT, Saudi merger? Steven Rondina The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making a major push to take over the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports scene, with FACEIT and ESL merging and being absorbed by the Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Gaming Group. The news was revealed in a statement on a new website held jointly between the two companies. The merger combines FACEIT’s significant role in cultivating and highlighting new talent with ESL’s presence as one of the …
This is the easiest way to jump higher in CSGO Counter-Strike
This is the easiest way to jump higher in CSGO Fariha Bhatti Have you ever noticed how professional players swiftly hop from one elevated area to another? Here’s how to jump higher in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive without complex movement tactics.  CSGO is all about aim and communication, but smooth movement can help escape risky situations. For example, bunny hopping can help you reach safety faster when you’re mid-fight on low health. CSGO’s regular jump may hold you back from taking enemies by …
Woman calls out sexism in CSGO, and players respond Olivia Richman Counter-Strike A female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player has decided to speak out about the harassment they experience while playing CSGO. In a post made on social media, the gamer begged players to stop arbitrarily harassing their female teammates. While it’s not everyone who does it, it has happened to her in every recent game played. As a highly-ranked Legendary Eagle Master, this means that she has experienced harassment in every game …
The CSGO viewer’s guide to BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2022 William Davis Counter-Strike BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2022 marks the new beginning of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s biggest third-party circuit.  BLAST has quickly become the biggest tournament organizer in CSGO outside of Valve itself. Last year’s BLAST Premier circuit ended with a bang with in-person play returning to BLAST Studio in Copenhagen for $1 million in prize money. Now the exciting action is gearing up for another year of seasonal play. The Spring Groups …
CSGO Dreams and Nightmares case skins revealed after $1.7 million contest Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike Valve has released the community case dubbed “Dreams and Nightmares,” which includes a combination of psychedelic and angelic skins.  Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans may want to prepare their wallets for the brand new skin case that has just dropped. The Dreams and Nightmares collection feature community-designed skins as part of a first-of-its-kind CSGO contest.  Valve challenged the most creative of CSGO players to breathe life into their scariest nightmares or …
Why former CSGO pros are quitting Valorant to return to CSGO William Davis Counter-Strike Decorated Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella tried his luck with Valorant, but now he’s coming back to his original flame. nitr0 is the first major pro esports player to leave CSGO for Valorant and return to his original game. He officially signed with Team Liquid’s CSGO roster earlier this week. The move has serious implications for Valorant and many of its competitive players. nitr0 may be the first …
Will there be a new CSGO? Could we get Source 2 or a sequel? Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike As modern shooter games continue to bulldoze Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, fans can’t help but think Valve’s silence may mean something. Dedicated players are hopeful that a new CSGO might save the scene.  CSGO has garnered a massive player base since its release in 2012. Until 2020, it was the only go-to shooter game for all FPS fans. However, things took a turn when Riot Games dipped its toes in the …
A pro CSGO player just lost a 1v1 clutch to a chicken William Davis Counter-Strike Losing in the clutch is never a good feeling, but this particular match left a pro player feeling absolutely fowl. A professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player just lost a  one-on-one clutch situation due to a chicken. The duel on Inferno A site looked good for Casper “cadiaN” Møller until an errant chicken disrupted his defusal attempt.  The entire debacle was streamed live on his official Twitch channel. Heroic’s captain attempted …
Five great budget CSGO rifle skins to add to your collection William Davis Counter-Strike The right budget rifle skin in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can get you some mad drip without a guilt trip. Skins are an essential part of the CSGO experience. Spotting expensive cosmetics like a Dragon Lore or Gold Arabesque in the wild is always cool, but even certain budget skins have a certain appreciable quality. And the rifle slot is probably the most important skin in your collection. It’s what you’ll …
Everything you need to know before IEM Katowice 2022 William Davis Counter-Strike Katowice is a historic city in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and it’s about to add another important tournament to its list with IEM Katowice 2022. Intel Extreme Master XVI Katowice 2022 will be the first massive CSGO tournament of the new year. The event will gather 24 of the greatest teams in the world to compete for their share of a $1 million prize pool. It will also host a live …
shroud blasts Valve for letting Valorant “walk all over” CSGO Fariha Bhatti Counter-Strike Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro Michael “shroud” Grzesiek isn’t happy with Valve’s approach to his old game and he has some advice for the developer on how to return the game to its former glory. shroud may have stopped playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but he still cares about his former “main game.” While watching the trailer for Valorant’s newest agent, Neon, shroud said CSGO has somewhat slipped into the background. …
Team Liquid confirms the return of nitr0 as CSGO captain Steven Rondina Counter-Strike At long last, Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella is returning to Team Liquid’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. The organization confirmed the return of its former captain on Twitter. The decorated shot-caller has been playing on 100 Thieves’ Valorant lineup, but is instead returning to his old game and his old organization in a blockbuster transfer. To celebrate his return, Team Liquid put out a dramatic video that shows nitr0 polishing a Captain …
Everything you need to know about CSGO’s player count in 2022 Steven Rondina Counter-Strike 2022 is set to be a very big year for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the best barometer for the game’s health is its player count. Rival tactical shooter Valorant is in its second year of existence, and CSGO saw some major changes to its matchmaking system in 2021. This resulted in some enormous shifts to the game’s player base. But what did CSGO’s player count look like in 2021, and what …
CSGO pro FUSiON passes away unexpectedly, shocking community Olivia Richman Counter-Strike A well-known Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro player has passed away. Alex “FUSiON” Dincof died on January 3, 2022 at just 23 years old. Next month he would have turned 24. The details behind FUSiON’s passing remain unknown. FUSiON was an Italian player who started competing in CSGO at just 17 years old. While Italy isn’t often on the map in esports, FUSiON had already competed on the international stage. In …

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.