Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Is FACEIT being overrun with smurfs after CSGO Prime changes?
Steven Rondina
FACEIT has been having a variety of issues in recent months, and it now seems that at least one more has been added to the pile. There has been a slew of complaints among users of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive matchmaking service regarding an uptick of smurfs in lower-level play. Newer and less-skilled players are being pitted against high-level players on new accounts that have unusually strong stats. The end …
Counter-Strike
Legendary French player RpK retires from CSGO
Fariha Bhatti
Legendary Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Cédric “RpK” Guipouy has announced his retirement after competing in Valve’s shooter for over 14 years. French CSGO veteran RpK is stepping away from competitive CSGO at the age of 32 to start his own company in the automobile industry. The pro player had retired from CSGO once before in 2012 but it seems his career has finally run its course. https://twitter.com/RpKTANKK/status/1433429665914388502 RpK kick-started his …
Counter-Strike
Chinese CSGO is “80% fixed” according to ESIC commissioner
William Davis
The head of the Esports Integrity Commission has called into question the legitimacy of professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive play in China. The Esports Integrity Commission is the leading body on integrity and fair play across esports and is most active in CSGO. Commissioner Ian Smith is the face of the organization. In a recent interview with multiple CSGO personalities, he referred to the Chinese pro scene as “fixed,” implying that …
Counter-Strike
Astralis finances reveal dev1ce transfer cost, sticker money
Steven Rondina
Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz’s transfer to Ninjas in Pyjamas was a blockbuster deal, and the big price tag certainly reflects that. In an earnings report breaking down the first half of 2021, Astralis stated that it brought in 4.5 million Danish Krone, approximately $714,000 USD, with the income being “related to the sale of contractual rights.” Given the timing, this is either mostly or entirely represented by the transfer fee paid …
Counter-Strike
mousesports vs BIG ESL Pro League group stage betting analysis
William Davis
Group C is undoubtedly the group of death at ESL Pro League. Putting Natus Vincere, mousesports, BIG, and FaZe Clan all in the same group is just asking for tight action. And that’s something that betting fans can take advantage of. Only three of these teams can advance to the $750,000 ESL Pro League Season 14 playoffs. The two middle-seeded teams, BIG and mouz, have the most to fight for. …
Counter-Strike
FaZe Clan vs Natus Vincere ESL Pro League betting analysis
William Davis
The group stage of ESL Pro League Season 14 is already showing some exciting matches, and of the best will feature Natus Vincere vs FaZe Clan. Reigning IEM Cologne champion Natus Vincere is back to defend its reputation as the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team in the world. Of all the teams in Group C, FaZe Clan has the best chance to stymie the Eastern European juggernaut. These teams will …
Counter-Strike
CSGO coach HUNDEN gets 2-year ban for leaking team’s strategies
William Davis
A month-long investigation by the ESIC has led to a multi-year ban for one of Counter-Strike’s most decorated coaches. Former player and coach Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen has been slapped with a two-year suspension from competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The ban comes after allegations of sharing Heroic’s strategies with other teams. HUNDEN has since issued statements claiming that he never got to testify in his own defense. https://twitter.com/ESIC_Official/status/1431179870424354816 The scandal first …
Counter-Strike
Na’Vi releasing documentary on CSGO star s1mple on Twitch
Fariha Bhatti
Natus Vincere has finally revealed the release date for a documentary movie about star Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. The Ukrainian organization celebrated the five-year anniversary of s1mple’s signing on August 4 by announcing a documentary titled “s1mple Formula.” Na`Vi has now confirmed the premier date for the flick. The documentary will feature some of the top CSGO players discussing their experience playing with and against s1mple. It’ll …
Is there a hack in CSGO that disconnects players in base?
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Players are reporting a shady hack in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that disconnects them from a competitive game. Valve’s first-person shooter has a high standing in its category for impeccable gunplay, advanced mechanics, and skill ceiling. But it’s equally famous for its hacker problem that the developer has failed to tackle effectively. While older players have adjusted to minor issues, some hacks are too significant to turn a blind eye. A …
New Overpass wallbang spot earns a kill in beginning of round
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
You can shoot Terrorists even before they’ve left the base with this insane wallbang spot. Wallbanging is common in first-person shooter games, which often helps pull off trick shots against clueless enemies. Shooting through weak points that bullets can penetrate has been part of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s intentional mechanics. Sometimes these locations are a crack in a wall or a fragile wooden surface but players keep finding spots that are …
CSGO pro’s computer breaks mid-round, but that doesn’t stop him
William Davis
Counter-Strike
A hardware malfunction in the middle of a $750,000 tournament sounds like a nightmare but clever play helped keep the dream alive for Almaz “almazer” Asadullin. During a match against OG, the forZe rifler’s computer suddenly froze in the middle of a very important round. Though he was still able to fire and move around, almazer had no idea what was happening around him in the round. Most Counter-Strike: Global …
CSGO’s “wallhack” smoke bug is back and as terrible as ever
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Despite being the top first-person shooter in its category, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has its fair share of bugs. Players are once again calling on Valve to address a game-breaking bug that has existed for years. CSGO player base is no stranger to glitches and bugs, but some issues are plain annoying. They go away for a while but have a decent chance of returning in any new patch. Players are …
CSGO players get five-year bans for match-fixing in ESEA Premier
Olivia Richman
News
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has given five-year bans to Sebastian “retchy” and Kevin “4pack” Przypasniak due to match-fixing. The two former Rebirth players were banned as part of the ESIC’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive match-fixing investigation, which included cooperation with the FBI. Retchy and 4pack were suspended from ESEA earlier this year when a recording came to light in April. The two could be heard discussing plans to fix a …
Valve dev gives tip on how to make CSGO run better
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Improving the performance of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s is important when it comes to improving your own performance in the game. Even Michael “shroud” Grzesiek says so. But how can players do it without dropping money on new hardware? Valve developer John McDonald gave a simple tip to Astralis player Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen: Close everything else that’s running in the background. https://twitter.com/basisspace/status/1429170778071715841 Bubzkji discussed closing everything on his computer, down to …
Smoke bug on CSGO map Ancient costs pro player his life
Fariha Bhatti
News
It’s no secret that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s latest map Ancient has minor problems but this new smoke grenade bug is too risky. Valve’s recent addition to the CSGO map pool was well-received but players continue to encounter minor bugs. Despite its exceptional design that pays homage to 1.6 map Aztec, players aren’t entirely happy due to recurring issues. Previous glitches didn’t necessarily impact the game results but this new one …
Here’s how to make and use custom menu backgrounds in CSGO
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Did you know that you can create custom backgrounds for in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? And that it’s really easy to do? If you’ve watched many CSGO streamers, you’ve probably seen personalities use custom menu backgrounds at some point. These might be pictures of themselves, homages to CSGO esports’ most memorable moments, or something else entirely. Either way, it’s a great way to add some fun to the game before you …
CSGO fans hopeful about Major after Sweden eases travel restrictions
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s upcoming major may finally take place in Sweden as the authorities tweak restrictions for esports athletes. The ministry of Sweden has eased the restrictions on esports players, providing them with the same travel exemptions as any other sport in the country. This change in the ruling brings the PGL Major closer to taking place in Stockholm, Sweden. https://twitter.com/ChahineHicham/status/1428294380213919748 CSGO’s biggest major in history was set to place …
Deaf CSGO player Spacesplash hits level 10 on Faceit
Fariha Bhatti
News
Could you imagine ranking up without using your headphones? This Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player is proving that it’s possible. To win a game of CSGO, you must have impeccable hearing, optimal headphones, and sharp senses. This is what most of the high-ranked CSGO players have learned throughout the years. However, this deaf CSGO player is winning his competitive games with zero audio. Hearing is of utmost importance in any first-person …
This multipurpose smoke on Overpass makes T-side easier
Fariha Bhatti
News
Overpass is one of the trickest maps to win as Terrorists, which is why its unique design calls for complex strategies to bag rounds on both sides. Competitive maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are suitably balanced but one side often has an advantage due to the structure of entryways, size of the location, and more. The two-story map Overpass allows for incredible plays and executes, like throwing a fake utility …
Silver player matches with master guardians, wins dramatic 1v5
Steven Rondina
News
What happens when you take a silver-ranked Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player and drop him into a game with a bunch of master guardians? Silliness. And sometimes, an improbably victory. One player recently had this happen with a silver IV player somehow getting matched up against a group of master guardians. Naturally, the game went poorly for the overmatched player but they did manage to have one shining moment. Faced with …
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.
