It goes without saying that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is by no means a perfect game, but it’s still the king of all FPS games. CSGO keeps hitting new records without support from the developers; imagine what would happen if Valve cared. Turns out Valve does care, though, but they’ve been keeping CSGO on the back burner while they channel their energy into creating Counter-Strike 2. At least, that’s what reports claim.
As we mentioned, it looks like Valve has secretly been working on a Source 2 port. Every day, leakers dig out new information, piquing fans’ interest. Currently, my feed is swamped with Counter-Strike 2 wish lists, with most players asking for better anti-cheat and 128-tick servers. Sure, we need those, but we also need a better CS:GO ranks system.
It’s 2023, and competitive CSGO players don’t know where they stand on the rank ladder. Consequently, they move to FACEIT, which has a better anti-cheat, 128 tick rate, and a transparent progress bar. But casual players still loyal to official MM (matchmaking) have a terrible gaming experience, and it has nothing to do with the server tick rate.
The official MM doesn’t motivate players to get better, try harder, and stick to the grind, which really needs to change in Counter-Strike 2.
Counter-Strike is Valve’s labour of love, but, let’s be honest, they also want to make money. To achieve that, the developer needs to boost the incentive for winning; raise the stakes. But that’s currently not the case.
Looks like Valve is on a mission to keep players hooked to their official game, rendering third-party platforms a secondary option. Many players find themselves addicted to FACEIT, while CSGO MM falls short in comparison. The lack of ranking transparency is likely to blame.
Counter-Strike 2 needs a progress bar to convince players to start just “one more game.” A progress bar that not only keeps them engaged in the present but also motivates them to return day after day.
Let’s take the example of Valorant. Most times, I hit play with the intention of just one game, but if I win and see that I’m only 20 RR away from reaching the coveted Diamond rank, I can’t resist playing another match. And if I lose, I know I’ll have to come back the next day and play two more games to make up for it. The lure of rising through the Valorant ranks is just too strong to resist! But, if ranking up feels like some unknown enigma, it can quickly drain your motivation.
CSGO’s ranking system is so messed up that some players level up after a winning streak of four, and some sleep in Silver even after winning ten. Not knowing where you stand can be disheartening, drawing people away from official MM.
Comparatively, FACEIT clearly shows ELO gained and lost. Sure, people move to third-party options for anti-cheat, but they stay for their hunger to compete. The fear they might de-rank if they lose this one game, the drive that they only need 10 ELO to grab the next rank; that simply doesn’t exist in CSGO MM.
If Valve keeps the same vague ranking system in Counter-Strike 2, players may continue to grind rank on FACEIT and only return to official MM to record meme-worthy content. True competition will never happen within the game.
Speculations are many, but Valve would likely look to improve the rank-up system. So, besides the big changes to the tick rate, anti-cheat, and skin market, my small wish is to see my rank progress in Counter-Strike 2.
The Source 2 port is still shrouded in secrecy, but if you’re as excited as I am, here’s everything you need to know about the potential Counter-Strike 2 release date. Ahead of then, here’s what you need to know about CS2 skins, CS2 ranks, and the best CS2 settings. We also have a list of some other awesome multiplayer games if you need something to whet your whistle in the meantime.