CS:GO

CS:GO Pro Settings, Gear List, Top Players and Teams

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Released over a decade ago, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS: GO as it is more commonly called, still remains hugely popular. Developed by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment as an FPS multiplayer game, CS: GO is the fourth installment of the Counter-Strike series.

Released in 2012 for Windows, macOS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, and two years later for the Linux platform, CS: GO has been a global phenomenon. It won the fan’s choice for the Best eSports Game of the Year in 2015 and has generated over 414 million US dollars worldwide till 2018.

The game is also extremely popular in the eSport scene even to this day, with several major eSports competitions taking place throughout the year.

Players are part of two teams – The terrorist faction and the Counter-Terrorists, vying for supremacy in different objective-based modes. There are nine game modes in CS: GO, offering players various options. Players can also enjoy custom maps and game modes.

The CS: GO has been a success story, not just in revenue generation per individual but also for the general gameplay. It has received praise from critics and fans of the Counter-Strike alike for being true to the series. Especially for not doing too much and building on what had already been a successful series before CS: GO.


Overview

GenreMMO, Tactical FPS, Survival (Danger Mode)
ModeLTMs, live events, and competitive
DeveloperValve, Hidden Path Entertainment
PlatformWindows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
EngineSource
First ReleaseAug 21, 2012

Ratings:

Steam9.0
IGN8.0
Destructoid9.5
PC Gamer (US)84%
GameSpot8.5
Eurogamer9.0
GameSpy 4 Stars

Most Popular CS:GO Players


Most Popular CS:GO Teams

Ninjas in Pyjamas


Settings of Most Popular CS:GO Players

CS:GO Game Modes

CompetitiveIt is a combat mode, which many players might already be familiar with, especially those that have played previous or even the latest Counter-Strike games.

Two 5-member teams are pitted against one another in a match consisting of 30 rounds – the first to 16 wins the match. In the event of a score of 15-15, the match ends in a tie.

Each round is around one minute and fifty seconds; however, when the bomb is planted, the timer resets to forty seconds. Teams switch sides after 15 rounds.
CasualThe Casual mode is pretty similar to the Competitive mode, with minor changes between them. However, as evident by the name, the Casual Mode is much less serious than its competitive counterpart.

The player counts in Casual ups to 10 players per side, making combat more likely in the game. The team that gets to the score of eight first wins the match. There is no tie in the casual mode. It has a shorter time limit, and the friendly fire is turned off by default.
DeathmatchDeathmatch is a freer version of the Competitive and Casual modes, allowing players to choose their side anytime they want. It is more of an individualistic mode with sixteen players in the round, divided into two teams.

The target for the players is to make it to the top of the leaderboard before the round ends. There is also a bonus weapon in Deathmatch mode that gives more points per elimination.
WingmanWingman is a relatively new addition to the CS: GO gaming mode. Added to the gameplay in 2017, Wingman is a modification of the Competitive mode. More specifically, taking the mode to a much smaller map.

In fact, the focus would be on only one bomb site. It is a 2v2 mode with a best of 16 determining the final result. Each round lasts for ninety seconds.
Arms RaceArms Race is part of the War Games category and is pretty similar to the Call of Duty Gun Game mode. The players would start with the SMGs and would work their way up to the final weapon – the golden knife.

The player that gets the first kill with the golden knife wins the round. It is as simple as that. It is the mode for players that have sufficient mastery over different types of weapons in CS: GO.
DemolitionDemolition is the second offering in the War Games category. The simplest way to define it would be as a combination of the bomb defuse mode and the Arms Race. It also has some unique maps in the playthrough that might take players some time to get familiar with.

Bank, Lake, and Safehouse are often the go-to maps in this mode. The game lasts 20 rounds, with the team scoring the eleven points first, winning the match.
Flying ScoutsmanYes, that is the name of another War Games category in CS: GO. Based on the old community game mode in Counter-Strike: Source, the game offers a unique experience for players. First, players only have an SSG 08 with a knife for combat; however, they can purchase better weapons in the game.

Second, the gravity effect is massively reduced, with players flying left and right. This is more of a fun game mode, added to the game in 2017.
RetakesInitially part of the limited-time event, Retakes is again added to War Games in 2021. Retakes is one of the latest additions to the CS: GO game, which was introduced in 2020.

It is an imbalanced mode with three players in the terrorist camp and four on the Counter-Terrorist team. The bomb is already planted at a site, with the anti-terrorist team aiming to defuse them and the terrorists warding off any such attempt.
Danger ZoneDanger Zone is the final entry on this list, with it being added to the game during the 2018 update. Unlike other game modes, it is a battle royale offering with eighteen players trying to survive. 

The players can choose to play solo or be a part of a duo. Players can respawn as part of a duo, but only if their teammate is still alive.

CS:GO Characters

Agents in CS: GO are simply full-body customization. They are used as the character model for the player across all the maps and the game mode. These characters have different skins, voices, and unique cheers.

The winning agent will be shown at the end of the round. The team faction (terrorist or anti-terrorist) does not impact this choice.

Anti-TerroristsTerrorists
Seal Team 6 SoldierThe Elite Mr. Muhlik
‘Two Times’ McCoyProf. Shahmat
BuckshotOsiris
3rd Commando CompanyGround Rebel
Lt. Commander RicksawMaximus
Special Agent AvaDragomir
Michael SyfersThe ‘Doctor’ Romanov
Markus DelrowRezan The Ready
OperatorBlackwolf
B Squadron OfficerSoldier
Enforcer
Slingshot

Esports

  • CS: GO is a four-time nominee for the best eSports game of the Year at The Games Award. (Year 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020).
  • CS: GO is the fan choice of the Best eSports Game of the Year in 2015.

Reception

CS: GO has received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. It has also been rewarded with many accolades over the years.

  • Fan’s choice for the eSports of Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2015
  • Nominated for IGN Best Spectator Game in 2017
  • Nominate for eSports Game of the Year in 2017 at Golden Joysticks Awards
  • 2018 Golden Joysticks Award nominee for eSports Game of the Year
  • Golden Joysticks Awards nomination for eSports Game of the Year in 2019
  • Nominated for the Best eSports Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2017.
  • Nominated for the Best eSports Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019.
  • Nominated for the Best eSports Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2020.
  • Nominated for Game eSports at the 17th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Award.
  • Nominated for ‘Fan Favorite eSports Game’ at the Gamer’s Choice Awards 2018.
  • Nominated for ‘Fan Favorite eSports League Format’ at the Gamer’s Choice Awards 2018.
  • An Australian Games Award nominee for ‘eSports Title of the Year’ in 2018.

Trivia

  • CS: GO was first announced on Aug 12, 2011. The date is crucial as the first Counter-Strike game was released on Jun 12, 1999, exactly 4,444 days earlier.
  • CS: GO did not arrive on the PlayStation Store on the release, resulting in a massive outcry from the fans of the game. Sony apologized for the issue, but no explanation was given.
  • CS: GO is rated 18+ by PEGI (the only Counter-Strike game in this category)
  • In CS: GO icon, one can find a counter-terrorist with a SCAR-L weapon. That weapon is actually not part of the game.
  • The color of the terrorist team is more of an orange with a mix of red rather than plain old red, as usually found in other games.
  • The game has a pirate mode that changes the two teams’ names. The names of the teams are modified as follows: Counter-terrorist to ‘British Navy’ and the Terrorist as ‘Pirates.’
  • The Steam ID of the game was originally 1800, which was later changed to 730

System Requirements

Minimum Build ItRecommended Build It
RAM2 GB8 GB
Graphics CardNVIDIA GeForce 7300 GTNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Radeon RX 570
CPUIntel Core 2 Duo E6600AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
HDD Space15 GB
DirectX 9.0c9.0c9.0c