Is dying in CSGO ever a good thing? Yes, and here's why

Steven Rondina Published 16/09/2021

While it might sound strange, intentionally dying in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can be advantageous sometimes.

There are many different no-win scenarios that will come up in a match of CSGO, whether it involves stalling for time around the bomb or running into a one-on-five scenario in the last round of the half. Depending on the situation, choosing to die in a specific way might be better than letting the time run out or trying to get a kill.

Players don’t necessarily have many options in how they go out, depending on the map and the resources they have available to them, but choosing to die in a specific way might be the difference between enemies having a submachine gun in the next round or having an AK-47. Here’s how to use this tactic and when it’s most useful.

When is it good to die in CSGO?

Choosing to die in CSGO is advantageous when it can deny the enemy team money. This stems from the kill bonus mechanic in CSGO’s economy that gives players money for kills based upon which weapon was used to deal the final blow.

Grenades, most pistols, and most rifles offer a bonus of $300 per kill. All SMGs other than the P90 offer $600 bonuses while shotguns offer $900. A knife kill offers a huge $1,500 bonus while the Zeus gives nothing.

When players are dealing with opponents that have SMGs or shotguns, it might be better to choose to die from something other than those guns. A great example of this came up in a recent pro match between Sinners Esports and GORILLAZ.

After losing the second pistol round, GORILLAZ went for a full save while Sinners went with full buy with armor, primary weapons, and some utility. Near the start of the round, Sinners tossed an incendiary grenade towards GORILLAZ and all five members of the team jumped into it, with four immediately dying as a result.

Though fans watching the game initially believed that the team was throwing, it was actually a strong strategic decision as the four players dying from the grenade instead of enemy SMGs took up to $1,200 out of the pockets of Sinners in the next round. Coordinating a team to do something like this in a pub match might be difficult, but it’s worth doing if the opportunity presents itself in a truly disadvantageous situation.

Jumping to one’s death in a map like Vertigo is also an option, but it’s a bit riskier. A proper player death sees a random opponent awarded a kill bonus based on the weapon they have equipped. This might be useful when multiple enemies have AWPs, as the sniper rifle gives only a $100 kill bonus.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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