Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is finally getting a significant update to its matchmaking and ranking system. A rank recalibration has landed in CSGO and it will affect all active players.
Gamers who play competitive titles will often gripe about the matchmaking system being the real reason that they can’t climb the ladder. In most major online games, the real reason is either a toxic attitude or a lack of skill. CSGO is a rare exception to that rule, and there’s actually proof to back this up.
CSGO’s rankings have been
measurably broken
for a few years now, which has impacted different regions in different ways. In North America, more than 50% of the player base is crammed into the silver rankings. This means that players can install CSGO for the first time, get matched up against players in the lowest ranks, and encounter one-way smokes, pop flashes, and other advanced techniques without it actually qualifying as smurfing.
The issue is so bad that even top-level players are being ranked as mediocre. Former CSGO pro and current star streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek was recently ranked as Gold Nova 4, a rank that should theoretically be assigned to the most average players. Bold action has been needed for a long while now and Valve is finally taking it seriously with a total rank reset.
CSGO has long needed a significant matchmaking update and this new update will ideally repair things.
“Typically when we ship changes to CSGO’s matchmaking system, the adjustments are small enough that we don’t include them in our release notes. However, today’s update affects all CSGO players so it requires some explanation…Most of you will notice a change to your Skill Group, but some of you may find that you were already in the right place,” Valve stated
in a blog post
on the official CSGO website.
Many players will receive new rankings, though players will need to win a match before finding out where they land. Fans have already discussed enormous shifts in their ranks, with players going from Gold Nova all the way to Global in one game.
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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