Watch out, the Krieg may soon be returning to the CSGO meta
The SG-553 is slowly making a comeback in the professional meta of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with star player Nikola “Niko” Kovac spearheading the potential shift in rifle priority.
The SG-553, better known as the Krieg, is creeping back into the CSGO meta. The scoped rifle, which was considered to be the strongest gun in the game for a time, hadn’t seen much action since being nerved by Valve
just under a year ago. But several pros started using the gun again in the first few tournaments of 2021.
The earliest adapter was Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. He started using the rifle to be more versatile while on the attack. But s1mple only used the gun occasionally. During
IEM Katowice, he bought it 10 times. Most of the time, he stuck with the more traditional AK-47 and AWP.
s1mple’s Krieg usage didn’t have any impact on the larger scale. The gun did not become more popular overnight, and the meta remained the same. But that changed when
G2 Esports
decided to bench Kennys “kennyS” Schrub and make Niko the team’s main sniper.
Niko isn’t a traditional scoped weapon player. He played as a secondary AWPer on some maps in the past but rarely bore the responsibility of being the main AWPer. In his first game after being given his new role, Niko seemed uncomfortable wielding the AWP. While a powerful weapon, the AWP limits what a player can do and makes them vulnerable to facing multiple opponents in a fight.
The Krieg was the solution to his troubles. On the maps in which Niko wasn’t as comfortable with the AWP, he started using the Krieg instead. He used the gun and its scope as an alternative to the AWP and was still able to bring out his trademark taps when needed.
Niko had a good performance using the gun and may remain in a sniping role for G2 for the foreseeable future. Whether using the Krieg is a permanent part of his gameplan is yet to be seen. But he proved that the Krieg has the potential to return to CSGO’s meta.
Is the Krieg still strong in CSGO?
The SG-553 is not as strong as it was
a year ago. Before being nerfed, the gun was the most-used rifle on the Terrorist side.
Valve nerved the Krieg by reducing its firing rate, which altered the weapon’s spray pattern. The gun is still a one-shot kill when hitting a headshot, and the accuracy on the first shot is still better than that of the AK-47. The Krieg is too weak to be used in place of a traditional rifle, but is still useful in certain situations. Thanks to its scope, it has a slight edge in long-range firefights.
Read Also
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions
Owen Harsono
It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major
Owen Harsono
It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap
Owen Harsono
We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026?
Owen Harsono
If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major
Owen Harsono
In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds
Owen Harsono
Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history
Owen Harsono
IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...
