Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
NiKo carries FaZe Clan past CompLexity in Katowice
Steven Rondina
FaZe Clan will fight on. After putting on mixed performances in the first three rounds of the 2019 Katowice Major Legends Stage, the European squad came up big when it counted in round four. Facing CompLexity Gaming in an elimination best-of-three, FaZe barely managed to stay alive with a 2-1 series victory. Though the team will compete in the final round of the Legends Stage, its fate was often in …
Counter-Strike
Natus Vincere rebound to advance to Katowice playoffs
Steven Rondina
If Natus Vincere has some interpersonal drama going on, it isn’t yet affecting the team’s play. The Ukrainian squad took a strong win over Avangar on day three of the Katowice Major’s Legends Stage, exploiting the Kazakhstani team’s timidity to seal up a 2-0 series win. The victory was a much-needed return to form after Na`Vi struggling against Team Liquid on day two. Na’Vi sent a powerful message to its …
Counter-Strike
Renegades take big step forward, qualify for major playoff
Steven Rondina
The Cinderella story of Renegades is continuing on. Opening day three of the Katowice Major’s Legends Stage, the Australian team secured a spot in the top eight with a dramatic win over Vitality. The victory represents the best performance in a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive major by an Australian squad, and a major milestone for both the region and the organization. The series opened on Dust 2 with a dominant showing …
Counter-Strike
NRG Esports wash out of Katowice 0-3 in major shocker
Steven Rondina
NRG Esports is going home way ahead of schedule. Following a devastating day that saw the team drop maps to Ninjas in Pyjamas and Avangar, NRG was bested 2-0 by CompLexity Gaming in round three of the Legends Stage. That dropped the team’s record to 0-3, knocking them out of the Katowice Major. Both games between NRG and CompLexity went to overtime, with the first being a double overtime marathon …
Counter-Strike
Astralis shut out Cloud9 with second ever 16-0 major score
Steven Rondina
Cloud9’s first day in the Katowice Major’s Legends Stage took a nasty turn against the world’s best team. Shortly after starting its day with a dominant victory over MiBR, the fan favorite squad was pitched a 16-0 shutout by tournament favorite Astralis. This is just the second time a 16-0 score has been posted in CS:GO major history. Train has proven to be a tricky map for every team at …
Counter-Strike
Cloud9 demolish revamped MiBR in Katowice
Steven Rondina
Cloud9 are off to a hot start in the Legends Stage at the Katowice Major. Following a shaky but ultimately successful showing in the Challengers Stage, Cloud9 started its run in the next round by thrashing MiBR, cruising to an easy 16-3 win. From the start of the match on Inferno, MiBR was raising eyebrows with the team’s passive play on the T side. Some of this passivity can be …
Counter-Strike
Team Liquid and Natus Vincere get off to quick starts in Katowice
Steven Rondina
Natus Vincere and Team Liquid are off to a strong start in Katowice. The veteran teams both took clean wins to start their runs in the New Legends Stage, besting G2 Esports and Avangar, respectively. But while both managed to advance to 1-0, they reached that point in very different ways. Na’Vi entered Katowice with a number of questions about the CIS team’s status. Despite being heavily credentialed and retaining …
Counter-Strike
Death threat meme gets Windigo CEO banned from Twitter
Olivia Richman
Windigo Gaming’s CEO’s Twitter account was suspended after he responded to a former player with a “death threat” meme. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Teodor “SPELLAN” Nikolov stated in a Twitlonger that Windigo didn’t pay him his salary for eight months while he was benched. He also accused the esports organization of not sending him prize pool money he’d won while a part of the team. SPELLAN mentioned that CEO Maksym …
ESL extends streaming rights deal with Facebook
William Davis
Counter-Strike
Esports tournament organizer ESL is extending its content streaming deal with Facebook through 2019. Fans around the world will be able to tune in to Facebook in order to watch the Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, and CS:GO Pro League on Facebook’s gaming platform. The distribution began on January 16 with the regional qualifiers for the IEM Katowice CS:GO minors. At that time, ESL announced an exclusive deal with Facebook …
Cloud9 survive, advance to New Legends Stage at Katowice Major
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Cloud9 is moving forward in the 2019 Katowice Major. Facing Winstrike Team in the final match of the New Challengers Stage, the fan favorite organization avoided elimination with a 2-0 victory. This advances the team’s record in the group to 3-2, which qualifies them for a spot in the Legends Stage. The opening showdown on Nuke hinged on either teams’ use of the AUG. Though the map has always been …
Ninjas in Pyjamas eliminate Vici Gaming, move to New Legends Stage
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Ninjas in Pyjamas is staying alive at the 2019 Katowice Major. The Swedish squad survived an elimination series opposite China’s Vici Gaming in the final round of the New Challengers Stage. Vici did not know how to handle NiP on Train. Despite the popularity of the AUG skewing the map in favor of the CT side in Katowice, NiP’s rushes to the A bombsite got the better of Vici and …
Allu leaves Katowice Major to tend to family matters in Finland
Steven Rondina
News
Aleksi “allu” Jalli is taking a break from the 2019 Katowice Major to tend to something even more important. The ENCE sniper announced on Twitter that he was headed home to Finland because his girlfriend was about to give birth. “I’m going home for a couple of days because my first born child is about to come to the world,” Allu said. “It’s been tough after hearing my girlfriends water …
Cloud9 come back from 1-16 start to fend off Furia and advance
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Cloud9 stayed alive in the 2019 Katowice Major, but it wasn’t easy. Cloud9 narrowly defeated Furia in a three-game series to prolong the team’s tournament run. The match opened on Mirage in embarrassing fashion for Cloud9. Throughout the first half, the squad struggled with a lack of coordination and weapon accuracy. This resulted in botches and misplays that Furia took advantage of, culminating in a 16-1 loss for Cloud9. While …
G2 eliminates Fnatic from Katowice major
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Fnatic’s run in the 2019 Katowice Major has come to an end. Facing G2 Esports in the fourth round of the New Challengers Stage, the Swedish team fizzled en route to a 1-2 loss. That pushed their record to 1-3 in the phase, eliminating them from the event. Things initially looked up for Fnatic. Playing on Mirage, the team opened the series with strong performances from its top stars. After …
ENCE moves to New Legends stage after tight Winstrike series
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Though it wasn’t elegant, the Finland’s top Counter-Strike team got the job done in Katowice. In one of the wildest series of the major thus far, ENCE defeated Winstrike Team 2-1. That victory, coupled with ENCE’s wins over G2 Esports and Team Spirit, advances ENCE to the New Legends stage. What this series said about their chances there is up for debate. The first frame, Dust 2, started in ugly …
NBK and Vitality advance while G2 struggles in Katowice
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt hasn’t played against Richard “shox” Papillon in the 2019 Katowice Major, but he still scored a big win over his former teammate. In round four of the New Challengers Stage, Vitality achieved a 3-1 record to earn a berth in the New Legends Stage. It did so by beating Vici Gaming in a best-of-three series. Vitality looked shaky to start game one on Inferno. Vici Gaming, propelled by …
NRG Esports among first teams to join Legends Stage in Katowice
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
NRG Esports is officially legendary in the 2019 Katowice Major. The American organization advanced to 3-0 in the New Challengers Stage with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Tyloo. That victory earns the team a spot in the New Legends stage and sets them up to face established elites like Astralis and Team Liquid. Though many expected this outcome for the team, success did not come easily. Game one on Inferno …
Fnatic eliminate Grayhound Gaming to survive in Katowice
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Fnatic isn’t going home without a fight. The Swedish squad stayed alive in the Katowice Major by defeating Grayhound Gaming in a best-of-three series. Though Fnatic wasn’t quite dominant, the team took a needed 2-0 victory that may help regain some swagger lost after a rough first day. Opening map Inferno was defined by side advantages. Though Grayhound was able to steal the opening rounds on the CT side, Fnatic …
eUnited signs three new players, overhaul CS:GO roster
Olivia Richman
Counter-Strike
eUnited is hoping to transform its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team into a powerhouse after some major roster changes. The North American squad is welcoming three former Swole Patrol players: Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, Victor “food” Wong, and Edgar “MarkE” Jimenez. All three players bring years of experience to what has been an inconsistent eUnited’s team. Vanity will take on the role of in-game leader. “Vanity will bring a new perspective to …
Fnatic loses again, one game from Katowice major elimination
Steven Rondina
Counter-Strike
Fnatic is now on the brink of elimination from the Katowice Major. Following a disappointing loss to Vici Gaming in the first round of the Challengers Stage, the Swedish squad was dealt another blow at the hands of Winstrike Team. This turn threatens to send Fnatic home on the first plane out of Poland. The game was played on Train, arguably the most skewed map in the tournament rotation. The …
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.
