Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Team Falcons benches most of its CS2 roster; here’s who is left
Steven Rondina
Team Falcons’ star-studded Counter-Strike 2 roster is no more, with the organization announcing that it has benched the bulk of its lineup and confirmed a split with Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev. Counter-Strike has seen many superteams come together over the years. Building a roster on star power hasn’t typically yielded results, though. Team Falcons is now learning that the hard way. The organization announced that it is benching or parting with …
Counter-Strike
s1mple isn’t sticking with Team Falcons, is he going to retire?
Steven Rondina
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev is done with Team Falcons and questions are swirling about whether he’s going to be returning to NaVi, returning to vacation, or if he’ll just retire. s1mple is almost inarguably the greatest Counter-Strike player of all time. He’s collected every notable trophy there is in the game, topped scoreboards, and dazzled fans and opponents alike with both his shooting and smarts. That made his indefinite hiatus in …
Counter-Strike
CS2 Pros criticize Valve slow update pace
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
It has been nearly a year since the release of Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), and the professional community remains divided on its current state. While excitement surrounded its launch as the successor to CS, many CS2 Pros are voicing frustration over the game’s development. Pro are particularly disappointed with Valve’s slow pace in rolling out major updates. This has lead some to speculate that the game won’t reach its peak …
Counter-Strike
How to Buy and Sell CS2 (CSGO) Skins for Crypto and Real Money
William Davis
The CS2 market offers gamers the opportunity to buy CS2 (CSGO) skins or sell CS2 (CSGO) skins for cryptocurrency and real money. While many platforms facilitate these transactions, let’s take Waxpeer as an example to illustrate how the process works. Waxpeer is a peer-to-peer marketplace that enables users to trade CS2 (CSGO) skins securely and efficiently. Supporting both crypto and real money transactions, it offers flexibility for the gaming community. …
Counter-Strike
OhnePixel enters esports as CS2 team owner and coach
Tokoni Uti
After opening cases and giving League of Legends a shot, streamer OhnePixel is stepping into another unexplored territory of CS2 esports with a brand new lineup. OhnePixel is known for his case openings and occasional beef with Counter-Strike 2 developer Valve, which is likely just banter since he’s one of the most famed streamers in CS2. When OhnePixel played League of Legends, it was met with mostly negative reactions from …
Counter-Strike
Gabriel “Toledo” FalleN Career History
William Davis
To achieve success and esports one requires true dedication and hard work, and Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo knows it from experience. The Brazilian professional CS2 player, who began his career in the times of Counter Strike: Source and Counter Strike 1.6, continues to demonstrate impressive results in CS2 to this day, becoming an inspiration for the new generation of CS2 players. FalleN often combines the roles of an AWPer and an …
Counter-Strike
Can you use null binds and Snap Tap on FACEIT?
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Null binds are shaking up the competitive gaming scene, and FACEIT’s new guidelines are turning heads. In the fast-paced world of competitive gaming, players constantly seek ways to gain an edge over their opponents. One old technique, that has garnered attention recently, is the concept of null binds. Null bind, a term used to describe specific key bindings created with console commands that make you unable to input multiple keys …
Counter-Strike
All you need to know about role of rarity and condition in CS2 skin trading
William Davis
CS2 has a sizable skin trading market where items are exchanged based on their rarity and condition. But why do these factors matter in CS2 skin trading? In addition to the addictive gameplay, CS2 gives players access to greater customization options for weapons and characters through skins, which create a whole market of in-game items. Skins can vary in rarity and condition, which directly affects their value and desirability among …
How CSGO took online gaming by storm
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, developed by Valve Corporation, was a dominant title in online gaming. Released in 2012, this multiplayer first-person shooter video game captured the attention of millions worldwide. But, most importantly, it caused a shift in the esports ecosystem. The game involved two teams, Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, fighting each other with strategies, skills, and teamwork. The goal was simple: complete missions or close out the other team. However, the …
CS2 Case Hardened phone skins are real, you could get a blue gem as well
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
dBrand’s Counter-Strike 2 Case Hardened gadget skins are the next best thing to the $1 million AK-47 blue gem sold earlier in June. CS2 has hundreds of rare skins that can cost an arm and a leg, but few are in their own league, like the blue gem pattern for Case Hardened skins. In June, a StatTrak Factory New #661 Case Hardened AK-47 with a rare blue gem design was …
CS2 sees drop in player count amid stuttering complaints
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 community has been complaining about stuttering and lag, which have had a noticeable impact on the game’s player count. Earlier, players noticed heavy stuttering and rubber banding in CS2, an issue that Valve instantly resolved. However, after the latest update, a new issue has cursed the competitive queue, which added Steam video recording software. According to clips shared by fans, the desync has become progressively worse in the …
List of new CS2 community maps includes a classic 1.6 location
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
The big Counter-Strike 2 update is here, bringing in five community maps to competitive, Wingman, casual, and deathmatch modes in CS2. Leakers had earlier discovered a mention of classic and new CS2 maps in the game’s codes. While the initial guess was that they would be included in CS2’s first operation ever, Valve has rolled them all out on a random Wednesday. Not all players are pleased with Valve not …
Valve disappoints players by skipping CS2 update on 25th anniversary
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike is 25 years old, and Valve surprised everyone by celebrating the silver jubilee milestone with a mere social media post. Counter-Strike was released as a trailblazing first-person shooter on Jun 19, 1999. In 2024, it remains at the helm of its category with impeccable gunplay and advanced in-game mechanics. However, players are almost never pleased with the developer. This time, their discontent stems from Valve’s lackluster celebration of the …
All we know about new CS2 operation release, content, and more
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Leakers anticipate that Counter-Strike 2 will soon launch its first operation, with some surprising content reportedly in store for players. Valve employs operations to bring in fresh content and cases to its flagship shooter, but it has been almost three years since the game last received an operation in September 2021. With Counter-Strike’s 25th anniversary around the corner, it’s safe to expect a big update, and leakers agree. Credible CS2 …
These are the very first skins in Counter-Strike
William Davis
Counter-Strike
One of the most interesting and innovative features of Counter-Strike was the introduction of skins—visual changes for weapons and characters. Although skins are an integral part of the gaming industry today, it is worth going back to the early days of Counter-Strike to understand how the first skin came to be and became the basis for the entire skin culture. With the release of CSGO in 2012, Valve Corporation introduced …
CS2 Trust Factor is working again, and it’s more brutal than ever
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Trust Factor is back in Counter-Strike 2, and leakers claim it’s better than before. CS2 Trust Factor does not necessarily punish or reduce cheaters in any way, but it does help players stay aware of what they are getting into before they hit go. It’s an alert system that lets you know how trustworthy a teammate is based on an unknown but credible metric by the Valve. Trust Factor alerts …
Nivera returns to CS2 in European lineup spearheaded by NBK
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Two-time major winner Nathan “NBK” Schmitt is rolling up his sleeves for Indian organization Revenant Esports to lead a fresh Counter-Strike 2 roster consisting of European players. Revenant Esports is an India-based organization with a strong presence in the local esports scene. Despite not having achieved global recognition yet, the organization’s CS2 roster secured an impressive first runner-up position in tournaments such as Skyesports Masters 2023 and the DreamHack Hyderabad …
Is CS2 pro player Stewie2K playing in IEM Dallas?
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Jake “Stewie2K” Yip is back to tier-1 Counter-Strike under G2’s banner for IEM Dallas, and he’s already making waves. Stewie2K had stepped away from CS2 when he was in his prime. The top North American pro looked at Valorant to continue his career, but his journey as a streamer was short-lived. After dipping his toes in Riot’s shooter, Stewie2K made a return to CS2 in March 2023, but IEM Dallas is his …
Counter-Strike 2 now lets you rent skins
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 has some of the most expensive virtual items. The great news is that you can now rent skins in CS2. On May 24, Valve announced that gamers would be able to rent skins in CS2 as an alternative to buying them. This was in response to some players complaining that they don’t want to “gamble” by opening cases in hopes of getting the skin they want. At this …
CS2 update brings massive Vertigo changes
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2’s sudden update brought some big changes to Vertigo that will impact how teams maneuver around the map. Vertigo is a controversial map, with many CS2 players saying it’s the worst one to play on — or watch pros play on. Gamers have noted that there are not many options when playing on Vertigo, creating one-dimensional and repetitive gameplay. That might change after the latest update. Valve dropped 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.
