Valve hasn’t officially shrunk the size of Counter-Strike 2 Matchmaking yet, but the community is already pouring in feedback, with the majority disagreeing with the potential change.
Data miners have found plausible clues in
CS2
files pointing to MR12 format being in the works for competitive games. This means the first team to reach 13 rounds wins, similar to how LAN matches were played in CS 1.6 and the system rival game Valorant is running in 2023.
CS MM has been using the MR15 format for years, and fans and players love it. However, it can be tedious at the higher level of play, especially in esports, from the perspective of a viewer and a professional player.
Now, Valve is returning to MR12 roots. At least, that’s what the data miners have discovered.
If that happens, the game time will significantly reduce, ultimately allowing a casual player to squeeze in more games in a single session. This may also attract a more casual player base, increasing CS2’s popularity among a wider audience.
On the surface, the potential change looks beneficial, but some players aren’t sold.
CS2 players have mixed feelings about MR12 matches
Since the leak has surfaced, players can’t stop talking about the potential change. According to community figures, the MR12 format would aid the game’s growth but is detrimental to its health if Valve rolls it out without tweaking how the economy works in CS2.
If MR12 gets implemented with the current economy model in CSGO, the esports fans may see more pistol and save rounds being played out than actual full buy face-offs. This would squeeze the fun out of CS, making it less power-packed than it is right now.
“MR12 is great for ranked or quick matches, as one game is not as tiring. From a professional aspect of playing MR12, the two years I was in Valorant, it was not as fun.” Former Valorant and active CSGO pro
Julia “juliano” Kiran
said.
That’s not the only concern. Those who are strictly against the MR12 think that the longer duration allows for strategic depth, something that has become the essence of CS over the years.
However, it also makes low-scale esports matches a pain to watch. Some CSGO matches have lasted as long as 5 hours, speaking to the unreasonably lengthy duration of the games.
While many opinions are swirling around, Valve is likely keeping a close eye on all and may roll out a match format that pleases the broader player base. It remains to be seen how much truth there is to the MR12 leaks, but fans are surely excited to try out whatever CS2 has in store.
Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.
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