This insane round reminded me why Counter-Strike is wonderful
Evan writes about FPSes every Monday in Shooterology.
There was a round of CS:GO during last Friday’s Dreamhack Invitational matches that I found really inspiring. I’ve recorded some commentary over it at 25% playback speed in the video above.
The round, from a match between two of the best teams in the world, showcases Swedish sniper jw’s absurd spider sense. It’s a terrific individual effort, and while it delivers as a Sick MLG Pro 420 Noscope Frag Video™, it also showcases two of CS:GO’s best aspects: the importance of physical awareness and the way the game’s decade-old, refined map layouts prompt tough decisions.
CS:GO isn’t without flaws—aside from the presence of hackers in competitive matches, the CS:GO competitive scene itself continues to suffer from DDOS attacks on players and servers during matches. The Dreamhack Invitational, despite being a LAN event, wasn't even safe from this. And those ancient maps, terrific as they generally are, aren't perfect. Nuke continues to heavily favor the CT side in CS:GO, arguably giving advantage to the team who starts on that side.
You really should watch the rest of the tournament, though, especially the final between French rivals Titan and Team LDLC.
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Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Arma 2. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging. Evan also leads production of the PC Gaming Show, the annual E3 showcase event dedicated to PC gaming.