Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
CS2 is officially out, here’s how to download it
William Davis
CS2 is out, and you may already have the download complete if you haven’t checked yet. Valve has been teasing Counter-Strike 2 hard for months. Ever since the initial announcement, fans of the franchise have been equally excited and scared of what the next installment will be. While the new mechanics and engine change have already been largely explored in the beta, the official launch is a chance for everyone …
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 is finally out after endless hints
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike 2 is officially out. Valve has officially revealed that CS2 is out in a Twitter post. It was met with applause from the competitive community, especially after months and months of hinting and speculation. https://twitter.com/CounterStrike/status/1707133016345338334?s=20 Valve has just dropped a brand new trailer for CS2, including the iconic CS 1.6 main menu and gameplay on an old, dated setup. The video is pretty emotional for old-timers who have long …
Counter-Strike
Who is ManeschijnX? Counter-Strike pro accused of cheating
Olivia Richman
A cheating scandal in the Counter-Strike community has resulted in yet another female pro leaving GamerLegion Prism. Luna “ManeschijinX” Akkermans is the latest pro to quit the CSGO team after drama has continued to plague the org. Just a few days ago, fellow teammate Chloe “KittyTM” Geaney was removed from the team when she was accused of sending racist messages before the team was signed to GamerLegion. Now, ManeschijinX has …
Counter-Strike
How to see your FACEIT Replay for CSGO
William Davis
FACEIT Replay is giving CSGO players a look back on their accomplishments throughout the game’s historic life cycle. CS2 is approaching fast, with a potential release date scheduled for tomorrow. With Global Offensive now in its sunset hours, matchmaking service FACEIT is giving players a chance to review their time with the Source 1 version of the tactical shooter. Here’s how to check out your won FACEIT Replay and compare …
Counter-Strike
What are the system requirements for Counter-Strike 2?
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike 2 is rumored to be coming any day now. With some big updates and upgrades since Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, here is what we know so far about the PC requirements to run Valve’s latest shooter. It’s been about a decade since CSGO came out. At this point, FPS players are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Counter-Strike 2 after years of rumors and secretive release dates. The upgraded graphics, reduced …
Counter-Strike
shroud says CS2 is “easier” than Valorant
Olivia Richman
FPS star Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has boldly claimed that Valorant is now the “number one” first person shooter right now. shroud has a long history as a top FPS player, starting as a Counter-Strike pro at the beginning of his career. He competed for five years before retiring and becoming a full-time streamer. His content largely focuses on his FPS prowess, ranging from Apex Legends to Valorant to Counter-Strike. He …
Counter-Strike
KennyS says CS2 is unplayable ahead of potential release
Fariha Bhatti
Legendary player Kenny “KennyS” Schrub thinks Counter-Strike 2 is far from perfect, a week ahead of the potential release. A few critics have pinpointed faults in CS2, calling out Valve for poor development and flaws in a game that used to be near-perfect. Now, KennyS has joined the conversation, claiming that CS2 is unplayable in its current state. Taking to X, the former CS pro shared a video where his …
Counter-Strike
CS2 social media hints at release date next week
William Davis
The release date for CS2 may be sooner than expected, as Valve has started trolling players on social media. The promised summer release of Counter-Strike 2 has been all but broken, and while Valve has opened up beta access and added tons to the client, the final release was still a mystery. Until now, that is, as Valve’s social media team has all but confirmed a release date for the …
New Titan Printstream craft is now the most expensive M4A1-S
William Davis
Counter-Strike
A new most expensive M4A1-S has been crowed in the world of CS skins, with the fan-favorite Prinstream finally taking the title. Valve hit a goldmine with the Prinstream skin line. Created by JTPNZ and first appearing in the Operation Broken Fang case, the skin’s pearlescent finish and excellent sticker compatibility have made it extremely coveted. The M4A1-S version is the most desirable, with StatTrak™ factory new versions selling for …
MR12 in CS2 will be good for you, here’s why
William Davis
Counter-Strike
MR12 is now confirmed for CS2, and while some fans are less than excited, even its biggest detractors will benefit from the change. CS2 is imminent, with nearly all accounts in good standing accepted into the beta and every major map available to play. While most changes have been for the better, the switch to MR12 is quite controversial within the community. While there are plenty of reasons to miss …
Community accuses top CS2 leaderboard holders of cheating
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Despite an upgraded anti-cheat, hackers are still polluting Counter-Strike 2, leaving players frustrated. Valve has wholly changed Counter-Strike: Global Offensive but player complaints are still the same as before. Many players are upset that the top ranks of the CS2 leaderboard are held by renowned cheaters with impeccable win rates. CS2 leaderboards are a great way to shine a light on deserving players looking to go pro. Currently, Kurosaki and …
Here’s why CS2 players hate the new Deathmatch
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
CS2 players, both new and old, have serious issues with in-game warm-up Deathmatch mode. Counter-Strike and Valorant players may not get along very well, but coincidentally, they find themselves in the same boat when it comes to in-game issues. After noticing incredible movement accuracy, players are now complaining about poor spawns in Deathmatch mode, a prevalent problem in Valorant before TDM was announced. According to CS2 players, they’d rather use …
Who is Kurosaki? One of the top players on CS2 leaderboard
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 leaderboards are live, and players are locking horns to be the best. But the top rank is currently claimed by a full-time grinder called Kurosaki, a former pro player. CS2 leaderboards are cut-throat. It’s tricky to claim the top spot for longer than a day, as everyone is grinding Prime around the clock. However, a player named Kumaresan “Tommy” Ramani managed to grab the top spot and retain it for …
Cheap CS skins that are worth buying in 2023
William Davis
Counter-Strike
CSGO skins are cosmetic items with unique designs and over 1,500 variants on trading platforms. With Counter-Strike 2’s release on the horizon, Valve promises to transfer all currently owned skins. Counter-Strike continued to evolve through the series of versions, with CSGO being the most known today. Gamers worldwide have actively played it for the past ten years. One of the reasons for its popularity is skins. The developers promise to …
These are the best smokes to learn on CS2 Inferno
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Inferno is the latest overhauled map in CS2, and while it looks like an entirely new location, the layout is mostly the same. But your old smokes may not work on the new Inferno. Inferno has undergone a massive Source 2 overhaul. It’s brighter, livelier, and less rusty. The visual tweaks and tick rate changes have also impacted lineups on Inferno as they have other CS2 maps. But fret not. …
The best commands and settings for CS2 so far
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Are you also running into random hiccups in Counter-Strike 2? Try these commands to make your CS2 experience better. From inaccurate jumps to random FPS spikes, CS2 beta is laden with bugs. Until Valve weeds out the glitches and fixes them, players have discovered commands that might help with game experience and quality. If you’re looking for video settings, check out s1mple’s settings in CS2. These are some of the …
Here are s1mple’s video settings in CS2
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike 2 release date is near, but those who’ve already gained access are looking for the best video settings. Luckily, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has shared his video settings in CS2. CS2 has terrible fps problems for those with low-end computers, but fortunate players with optimal builds can easily apply s1mple’s video settings. Even though the pro player has most of the video settings toned down, they may still cause stuttering …
CSGO makes history with 1M+ players sustained for an entire year
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is soaring high, retaining 1M+ players for a year for the first time in a decade. CS2 could be released any day now, and while a large chunk has already upgraded to the Source 2 variant, CSGO is hitting new heights. For the first time since its release, CSGO has sustained 1 million players throughout the year. In August 2022, right after its 10th anniversary, CSGO regained …
Gaming community angry at Bethesda for adding pronouns in Starfield
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Restricted exploration and bugs during the testing phase aren’t players’ only complaints against Starfield. Streamers are bashing Bethesda for forcing the “LBGTQIA+ agenda” down their throats for adding pronouns in Starfield. Recently, playtesters who bagged access through illegal means accused Bethesda of lying about space exploration. Instead of being able to travel through the endless space, players were hit with the “boundary reached” error. Some of them are also upset …
CS2 early access: Eligibility criteria and how to get in
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike
Still don’t have Counter-Strike 2 access? That might change today, at least if you check basic eligibility criteria. Valve is eventually rolling out CS2 for all. While it was initially highly exclusive, more players are now getting their hands on the hotly anticipated Source 2 upgrade. Finally, the biggest CS2 access wave hit yesterday, handing out access to those who didn’t check the previous boxes. The new criteria for CS2 …
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.
