Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Vitality bench NBK- after early elimination from Berlin Major
William Davis
Following a disappointing end to their run in the Starladder Berlin Major 2019, Team Vitality is making some changes to their CS:GO team. Specifically, the organization has removed Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt from his role on the starting roster and will be exploring other options for a fifth player. The team released a statement on the matter on their Twitter page. “The team has shown amazing results but a change was …
Counter-Strike
15 tips to play like a pro in CSGO
Jared Wynne
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular games in the world today. But only a small number of its players are able to play at the highest levels. Why is this? Because many players do little or nothing to effectively improve their in-game skills. People play games to relax after a hard workday or a tough week at school. Not everyone wants to strain and sweat during the …
Counter-Strike
G2 Esports allegedly caught poaching CR4ZY CSGO players
Steven Rondina
G2 Esports is starting to get a bit of a bad reputation in the esports management world. CR4ZY CEO Antonio Meić is accusing the organization of attempting to poach players from his Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team on Twitter. He publicized the accusation with an image that shows a Kenyan anti-poaching unit approaching a suspect. Each member of the unit have the CR4ZY logos superimposed over their faces, while the poacher’s …
Counter-Strike
Astralis’ Magisk talks critics, haters before Berlin Major final
Steven Rondina
Astralis is headed to the grand finals of the StarLadder Berlin Major. That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, but it is for some Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans. The Danish squad captured another major title earlier this year by winning the IEM Katowice Major but went into a decline from there which saw them lose their spot as the consensus best team in the game. It was a far …
Astralis faces AVANGAR in Berlin Major finals, beats NRG Esports
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
The grand finals to the StarLadder Berlin Major are now set. After besting NRG Esports 2-0, Astralis will take on Avangar in the final series of the event. The Berlin Major has seen an emphatic return to form from Astralis, who punched their ticket with a statement victory over a hot North American squad. NRG Esports surprised many by deciding to open the series on Train, the map where they …
Avangar coach talks Berlin Major finals berth, mother watching CSGO
William Davis
Counter-Strike
In the battle of the Cinderella stories at the Starladder Berlin Major 2019, Avangar reigned supreme over Renegades. Avangar defeated Renegades 2-0 and will move on to the Grand finals to face the victor of Astralis vs. NRG Esports. For Renegades, the tournament is over. Avangar have been the statistical underdog throughout the tournament, but coach Dastan “dastan” Akbaev doesn’t see his team that way. “I know that we can …
AVANGAR earn spot in Berlin Major finals by beating Renegades
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Avangar is the first entrant into the StarLadder Berlin Major. The Kazakh team took a strong win over Renegades in the semifinals, winning 2-0. Renegades started off Mirage strong with a successful pistol round and conversion, but a pair of losses stemming from early frags by Dzhami “Jame” Ali allowed Avangar to even the score. Both teams started to get aggressive in hopes of asserting dominance, with Renegades doing quick …
Godsent returns to esports by merging with The Final Tribe
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
A recognizable esports brand is making a surprise return. Godsent is being resurrected by Swedish esports organization The Final Tribe. A Counter-Strike: Global Offensive brand largely built around former Fnatic players, Godsent previously ceased operations in 2018. “The Final Tribe…today announces the official merger with the Swedish CSGO brand Godsent, founded in 2016 by Swedish three time major winner Markus “Pronax” Wallsten,” the organization said in a statement. “The Final …
dev1ce talks Astralis on Vertigo, Renegades and Avangar upsets
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Astralis took down Team Liquid in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Starladder Berlin Major, and Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz seemed to be very pleased with his team’s performance, specifically with their new approach to tactics. dev1ce spoke to WIN.gg on his team’s performance on Vertigo, a surprise pick that ended in a 16-8 stomp in their favor. “We had a lot of time to prepare,” dev1ce said. “We didn’t really know …
Astralis eliminate Team Liquid from Berlin Major, face NRG Esports
Nina Forneloza
Counter-Strike
Team Liquid will not be adding a major title to their resumes quite yet. The North American squad lost to rivals Astralis 2-0 in the quarterfinals to the StarLadder Berlin Major. The loss ends their run in the event, landing them in 5th-8th place. It’s also a victory that reestablishes Astralis as a strong candidate to win the event after a rocky stretch where they were unseated as Counter-Strike: Global …
Stewie2k had account hacked, skins stolen before Astralis match
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Just before Team Liquid’s 2019 StarLadder Berlin Major playoff match against Astralis, Jake “Stewie2k” Yip’s Steam account was hacked. An unfortunate distraction from one of the biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments of the year, Stewie2K noticed that he was locked out of his Steam account. This made it impossible for him to access the account or to see what was happening during the time he couldn’t get in. “No idea …
NRG Esports beat Natus Vincere, head to Berlin Major semifinals
Nina Forneloza
Counter-Strike
Natus Vincere is heading home. In the Berlin StarLadder Major quarterfinals, NRG Esports defeated Natus Vincere, taking the series 2-0. It’s a rough blow for a Ukrainian team that has focused all its efforts into this event and faces questions as to what comes next. It was also an excellent performance from a North American squad that is looking to establish itself as the best in the region. The …
Vitality eliminated from Berlin Major after upset to Avangar
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
One of the favorites to win the StarLadder Berlin Major has been eliminated. In the quarterfinals of the Champions Stage playoffs, Avangar defeated Team Vitality in impressive fashion. Though Vitality was regarded as the better team, Avangar was able to impose their will and keep the pressure high en route to a 2-1 victory. The first half suggested that game one on Mirage would be a tight one. Vitality scored …
ESL Pro League rules could bring team exclusivity to CSGO
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Big changes could be coming to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s professional scene. According to a report by Dexerto’s Jarek Lewis, the ESL Pro League is going to begin imposing heavy exclusivity requirements on participating teams in an effort to limit their ability to participate in other events. “Beginning January 1st 2020, all member teams of Pro League shall not play in other Counter-Strike leagues,” the terms read. “This means non-Valve sponsored …
Renegades run over ENCE to kick off Berlin Major playoffs
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Renegades are on fire at the StarLadder Berlin Major. The Australian squad made a statement win in the opening round of the Champions Stage playoffs, shutting down ENCE Esports with a 2-0 series win. The bracket-busting loss sends ENCE Esports home in 5th-8th place. Renegades got off to a hot start on Mirage with a successful pistol round on the T side. But a B rush in the seventh round …
seized announces free agent status as Vega Squadron falls
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
Denis “seized “Kostin is officially a free agent. The announcement came after his being placed on Vega Squadron’s transfer list last month. He joined the team in April when Vega was attempting to rebuild its roster. But it didn’t look like the addition of seized had done much for the struggling side over those four months. The announcement came soon after Dmitry “Dima” Bandurka also declared his free agent status on …
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.
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
News
