While Galil and Famas are buffed, is the Krief nerf enough?

In the new Operation Shattered Web update, Valve has increased the price of the terrorist Krieg weapon and buffed the Famas and Galil.

With the arrival of a new operation, Valve also made adjustments to three weapons in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The update increased the price of the rifle from $2750 to $3000. While only an increase of $250, the adjustment makes the weapon that much more difficult for the T-side to purchase during a second-round force buy.

Alongside a clear nerf to the terrorist rifle, Valve buffed the rarely-used Famas and Galil by decreasing their price by $200 each and improving their spray accuracy.

The Krieg nerf comes months after Valve nerfed an oppressive AUG meta by lowering its accuracy and rate of fire in a June 2019 patch. Valve had lowered the prices of both the AUG and Krieg rifles in an October 2018 patch, but did not adjust their stats.

Is Valve’s Krieg nerf enough?

The power of the Krieg comes from its high first-bullet accuracy, its scope, and its low price tag. Now, one of those is gone. Valve decided against changing any of the rifle’s other stats, making this nerf different than the AUG’s and less likely to dramatically affect the meta. It’s too early to say what effect this will have in professional play, where it took several months for teams to switch onto the weapon.

Fans might notice a similar meta shift here, but there’s a problem. The SG-553 is still has the characteristics that made it strong in the first place. 

Valve’s price increase has effectively nerfed the weapon’s second-round potential, but it might not be enough to remove the weapon from its dominant place in the meta. The rifle is still exceptionally strong with its current stats, and the CT side still doesn’t have an answer for the SG-553’s accuracy or range.

Famas and Galil prices lowered, spray accuracy increased

Along with the SG-553 Krieg nerfs, Valve opted to give the two other T and CT-side rifles buffs. The Famas is now $200 less and will cost defenders $2050. T-side players will pay $1800 for the Galil, down from $2000.

Valve has also increased their accuracy during a fully automatic spray. This makes both weapons viable, but there’s one place the buff stands out: the weapons’ capabilities against rushes. 

Valve’s accuracy increase coupled with the new price drop now makes these weapons more attractive options as a second-round or anti-eco weapon. Both types of rounds commonly see rush strategies used by both sides to catch the other team off guard. These rushes are normally countered by submachine guns due to their low price and high rate of fire.

But SMGs don’t work if the target is far away. The Famas and the Galil generally do. Valve’s buffs to these rifles give players the option to engage from a longer distance with an early buy.

Valve’s exact change was worded as “Improved full-auto spraying accuracy of FAMAS and Galil,” according to the official CSGO blog. It is unclear if that means that the developers have changed the spray patterns of the weapons, or if the bullets are more likely to follow the guns’ current directional pattern. Either way, both should see more action in CSGO.

Just like with any weapon change, it might take some time for the current meta to adjust. But with a buff to these underused weapons, fans might get to see some variation in their own games alongside changes in professional play.