Why CS:GO Is the Most Prominent FPS Esports Title

Counter-Strike has always been one of the most popular games on PC. It is not a surprise that it is one of the most popular titles in esports because of its legacy. The first Counter-Strike game was actually a mod of Valve’s Half-Life.

It continued to grow in popularity leading to the game becoming a legitimate game for Valve. It became the premier multiplayer first-person shooter around the world. It was a simple concept with the weapon economy and the dynamic between the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists.

It was simple for people to understand but its mechanics were also friendly when it came to the people who wanted to play it competitively. There were two prominent regions during the CS 1.6 era and that was North America and Europe.

There were multiple tournaments in the 2000s that pitted the best teams from both regions against each other which continue to this day. If you are interested in betting on CS:GO matches, you have a lot of options.

Counter-Strike continued to evolve with the new title in CS:Source. This turned out to be a step in the right direction for the game and its mechanics. However, it was not a popular move when it came to the esports scene because people felt that 1.6 was still the best option. Because of this, there were two factions of players who played Counter-Strike but in different iterations.

Valve decided to streamline the process because they saw the potential of having a single game being their primary FPS esports title. To match up with their flagship title Dota 2, Valve developed Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to become their marquee game when it came down  to the Counter-Strike title.

It became more of a global game because of its innate online gaming capabilities. It drew a lot more attention because it was a game that had competitive modes and ranks that creates a competitive culture around the game. This drew a lot more people to the game which included some talented players.

When the CS:GO esports started off, there was only one team that dominated the entire scene. This was Swedish squad, Ninjas in Pyjamas, who quickly established themselves as the best team in the world. They even held a streak that lasted for 87 LAN maps which remains as one of the biggest accolades that any team can achieve.

The esports scene was also given a jolt with big LAN events for the game. Valve initiated this with the creation of the Valve Majors which easily became the scene’s biggest tournaments. They wanted events that were on par with the International in Dota 2.

These events became the lifeblood of the scene and it was being broadcasted around the world across numerous streaming platforms. They really got into their stride in 2015 in the midst of the Fnatic vs NiP rivalry. It was an enduring rivalry that pitted the best players in the world against each other.

Through the years, both teams are still fixtures in the scene but there are now a lot of teams that have become the best in the world. Squads like SK Gaming, Natus Vincere and Astralis are the consistent teams in the world now.

With the current situation with COVID-19, CS:GO has transitioned into an exclusively online scene. It is still a compelling esports scene because there are still a lot of teams that have become competitive. Hopefully, things can go back to normal soon because LAN events are really missed.

It is also interesting to know if Valve will be devising some plans for the future. CS:GO is still a compelling game but there are some signs that there will be a new title.