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Counterstrike Global Offensive is more popular than ever with an impressive number of players and tournaments to choose from. Nicknamed CS:GO there are daily tournaments where players from beginner to expert can compete in. It’s pretty cutthroat as top prizes at professional tournaments can cash out at over a million dollars.
Gambling on video games seems surreal but Draft Kings offers Daily Counterstrike betting options. There are two main style of play, CS:GO Classic style where you can pick 6 players to be on your fantasy team. There is also CS:GO Showdown where you pick 4 players to be on your fantasy team. You’re given a $50,000 salary cap when you draft your team. You earn points through a player’s kills and assists but then lose points every time a player you picked has died. Each team comprises of Captains and Teammates. Some best Captains are stavn, zehN, Farlig, MarKE or NiKo.
Like any sport, players and coaches are willing to exploit any advantage possible. Recently, CS:GO coaches were caught exploiting a spectator bug in order to cheat in Counter Strike tournaments. A spectator, such as the coaches, were able to pick a spot on the map and rotate a camera freely. This gave coaches enhanced visuals and scouting during a match to which they could exploit. The bug was discovered by gaming referees.
Fallout from the scandal has sent shockwaves through the CS:GO community. This has led to the banishment of the coaches of teams Heroic, mibr and Hard Legion. Mousesports coach Allan “Rejin” Petersen admits to using the bug dating back to 2018 which has led to his suspension. It seems that many of the top teams and coaches were exploiting the bug with the mentality “everyone is doing it”. The ESports Integrity Coalition has announced that it will be reviewing all tournament films dating back to 2016. They are allowing a “confession period” until September 13, 2020 if any other coaches would come forward to admit any wrongdoing.
On the brighter side, CS:GO can look forward to ESL One: Rio 2020 in Rio de Janeiro running from November 9-22. It will be the sixteenth annual Counter Strike Championship tournament. It will feature $2 million in purse prizes with 24 teams competing from around the world. It’s the largest purse up to date for professional gaming.
Looking ahead, the CS:GO Major Championship Spring 2021 will be held May 10-23 with a purse of $1 million dollars. This will be the first major tournament of the new year.