Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Dust 2, Inferno, and Ancient could see some big changes soon
Steven Rondina
Something big is brewing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and four of the most popular maps in the game are at the center of it. On September 19, Valve added compatibility versions of eight maps to the official CSGO Workshop page. Compatibility versions of maps are made publicly available to ensure older replays work in the current CSGO client after changes are made to maps. While the likes of Mocha, Pitstop, …
Counter-Strike
Should Dust 2 get removed from the CSGO map pool?
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s legendary map Dust 2 has once again landed into the spotlight after professional players pointed out the flaws in its off-meta design. The map has been a part of all major Counter-Strike titles since 2001, becoming an iconic location both in casual and pro games. After being removed from active duty for over a year, the map returned as Dust New featuring much-needed graphical changes in 2017. …
Counter-Strike
All of the correct CSGO callouts for Cache
Steven Rondina
Callouts are critical on any Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map, and knowing how to coordinate on Cache is critically important. In theory, Cache is the most straightforward map there is in CSGO. It has two sites with a mid area that both sides have an equal shot at controlling. If the Ts can control mid, they get extra options for attacking the sites. The CT side can use mid control to …
Counter-Strike
PGL confirms the next CSGO Major will be held in Stockholm
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s biggest tournament in history has finally been confirmed for Stockholm, Sweden. After months of uncertainty, things are finally falling into place for CSGO. PGL has confirmed that the 2021 CSGO major will take place in the home of Counter-Strike, Sweden. “With all indoor restrictions lifted, Avicii Arena is ready to be packed with fans again, for the first time in the last 15 months,” the PGL announces …
Counter-Strike
Mirage hell clipping glitch gets pro player killed in tournament
Fariha Bhatti
A long-standing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive bug marred a professional match for Heroic, costing Martin “stavn” Lund his life in the middle of an intense round. Visual bugs may not always have as much impact, but in high-stake pro matches, even a minor glitch can cost a team the title. In the semifinal match of ESL Pro League Season 14 against Natus Vincere, Heroic’s stavn was on the receiving end of …
Counter-Strike
s1mple and Natus Vincere win $1 million Intel Grand Slam
Steven Rondina
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev and Natus Vincere have already been on a tear for a long while now, but the team is quickly approaching a level of dominance in Counter-Strike esports that has some calling this the Na`Vi era. Na`Vi has taken first place in ESL Pro League Season 14, taking home a $195,000 check for its efforts. This adds onto what was already an electrifying 18-month stretch for the popular …
Counter-Strike
Alleged cheating has s1mple blasting Heroic at ESL Pro League
William Davis
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is busy playing at ESL Pro League Season 14 but he still found the time to take a swipe at a team embroiled in a cheating scandal. Natus Vincere and Heroic had an extremely close match in the ESL Pro League Season 14 semifinals. After a narrow Na’Vi victory, the analyst desk asked s1mple if he had any thoughts on his opponents. While he complimented their skills …
Counter-Strike
Team Vitality vs Natus Vincere ESL Pro League betting analysis
William Davis
A best-of-five series between Team Vitality and Natus Vincere at ESL Pro League could be just as lucrative as it will be exciting. Every match of ESL Pro League Season 14 has led to this final best-of-five series. Team Vitality clawed past several podium contenders for a shot at the $175,000 first-place prize. Natus Vincere bulldozed over its foes with grace in pursuit of the Intel Grand Slam. This match …
This OP molotov trick guarantees T-side wins on Dust 2
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
There’s one way to basically guarantee that planted bombs will detonate on Dust 2’s A bombsite. One of the most common scenarios on Dust 2 is that terrorists take the A bombsite, plant the bomb in the elevated corner of the site overlooking long, and then set a man up in pit to ensure the bomb isn’t defused. Playing in pit with the bomb planted in the right spot is …
Pro player ELiGE says Dust 2 mid doors need to be changed
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
If you think losing a massive chunk of health at the start of a round while crossing Dust 2’s mid doors is annoying, you’re not alone. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional player Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski is in the same boat. CSGO’s legendary map Dust 2 is also one of the game’s oldest locations, and the developer has no apparent plans of pulling it out of active duty. The map has barely …
The spookiest CSGO skins submitted for Dreams and Nightmares
William Davis
Counter-Strike
The Dream & Nightmares CSGO skin contest received hundreds of submissions, but these six stand above the rest. The Dreams & Nightmares skin design contest is giving 10 artists $10,000 for an upcoming Halloween-themed case. Artists interpreted the title theme in a number of ways, some humorous and others horrifying. After nearly two months, these submissions are the Dreams & Nightmares skins we want to see in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. …
GuardiaN and seized find new home on Team Singularity
William Davis
Counter-Strike
The old Trident roster is back with a new coat of paint, although the transfer didn’t happen on good terms. Team Singularity has launched a new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster by signing the former Trident Gaming lineup. The new Eastern European side includes legendary AWPer Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács and veteran in-game leader Denis “seized” Kostin. Along with the new sponsor, seized has publicly accused their previous organization Trident Clan of …
This one-way smoke by NiKo is perfect to trap Ts on Mirage
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
It’s pretty easy for Terrorists to get mid control on Mirage. This smoke can help Counter-Terrorists stop enemies’ advances. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s most popular location Mirage is also one of the trickiest ones to handle on the CT side. Taking site control on this map is a menace, which is why Ts often breakthrough mid with the help of utility. One smoke in the window, one short, and defending sites …
MIBR could sub two players for BLAST Premier Fall group stage
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Two of MIBR’s players may have to go missing before a $150,000 qualifier. MIBR’s core riflers are both facing difficulties ahead of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups. Entry fragger Marcelo “chelo” Cespedes was involved in a vehicular accident and Ricardo “boltz” Prass’s medical tests have barred him from international travel. boltz is confirmed to be absent for the competition, while chelo’s status is still not determined. https://twitter.com/mibr/status/1435390379373830144 The bad news comes …
Here’s why Xyp9x replaced gla1ve for Astralis at BLAST Premier
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Astralis will charge into BLAST Premier’s group stage without their beloved captain, but it’s not without a good reason. Astralis in-game leader Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander will miss the BLAST Premier: Fall group stage. He will be taking a temporary break from professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to attend to the birth of his first child. The clutch minister Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth will return from his playing break to fill in. Astralis …
Complexity reportedly wants Coldzera to replace k0nfig
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Reports suggest that Brazilian star Marcelo “coldzera” David is all but set to join Complexity’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster. coldzera is on the verge of signing with Complexity ahead of the BLAST Premier Fall groups, according to 1pv.fr. The veteran has been evaluating his options due to his status as a free agent, and it seems that a deal is nearing completion. Various media outlets including 1pv.fr have reported the …
ESIC opens investigation on Heroic players over spectator bug
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
An official investigation was officially opened on September 6 by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) against the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pros on the Heroic roster. Former CSGO coach Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen sent the ESIC what is alleged to be evidence that Heroic players were in on the use of the coach spectator bug. HUNDEN received a one-year ban in 2020 after the ESIC found him guilty of using the bug …
Is OG a favorite for the ESL Pro League season 14 playoffs?
William Davis
Counter-Strike
OG doesn’t always play hot, but CSGO fans should keep an eye on the international squad at ESL Pro League Season 14. OG’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team was expected to finish third in Ggroup B with a chance of early elimination. Instead, the squad launched straight into the top eight with a flawless match record. With so much momentum heading into the $750,000 playoffs, is OG a surprise favorite to …
Liquid vs Fnatic ESL Pro League Season 14 betting analysis
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Only one match stands between two rising CSGO squads and the top eight at ESL Pro League Season 14. The first round of the Pro League playoffs ends with a bout between two teams on the rise. Two big upsets over BIG and FaZe Clan earned Fnatic an unexpected spot in the playoffs. Team Liquid bounced back from Cologne by dominating Group D with only one tight loss to Gambit. …
shroud says Fracture feels like a CSGO map, and this is why
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Popular Twitch streamer and first-person shooter specialist Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has tried new Valorant map Fracture, and he thinks it’s most similar to maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Riot Games’ latest addition to Valorant’s map pool is a game-changer. It branches off from typical FPS map design, adding a new twist to the genre. Former CSGO pro and current Valorant streamer shroud dove into the new location, and he’s a …
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.
