What are Counter-Strike Rankings?

Ranks in Counter-Strike are one of the features included with the release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) in 2012. As is the case with all multiplayer video games that rely on ranks to measure the skill level of players in CS:GO's competitive matchmaking mode.

The CS:GO rank system has been the central structure of the game's competitive scene, which plays a crucial role in players feeling a sense of progression, achievement, and satisfaction. As we approach the release of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), let's take a closer look at the current CS:GO ranking system and speculate on the future of ranks in the upcoming sequel.

With the announcement of CS2, the community has been eagerly awaiting information about new features and improvements to the game. One of the most anticipated aspects of CS2 is the evolution of the ranking system - will it be a completely new system, or will it build on the foundation established by CS:GO? Only time will tell, but let's dive into the current CS:GO rankings and what they mean.

The new CS2 ranking system is an "ELO" system where you win/lose points after each game in the Premier game mode

In the August 31, 2023 update, Valve added a new ranking system for CS2 called Premier Mode, where players will play to earn points to rank in different regional tables worldwide.

CS:GO Ranks

The CS:GO rank system consists of 18 different ranks, redundantly, which are divided into various levels. These ranks measure a player's skill level and are determined by their performance in competitive matches.

As players progress through the ranks, they encounter more skilled and complicated opponents until they reach the Global Elite rank, representing the pinnacle of competitive CS:GO play. Similarly, it is also worth noting that the vast majority of players tend to have the Master Guardian II rank, as we could call it, the rank of a common casual player.

At this point, we should mention the MMR (Matchmaking Rating), which is the system that is responsible for matching all players with others who have a similar skill level. The MMR system is completely independent of the rank system, which must be clear since it is only used for matching in competitive and casual games. In conclusion, the MMR is a statistic based on the players' skills.

All players starting in CS:GO have a basic MMR that comes by default in the game. However, the MMR will vary depending on the players' performance as they play more games. This means that the better match you have, the better MMR you will have and the better matchmaking you will have in MM to have competitive and fair games.

Explaining the rankings

As mentioned in the previous point, we have 18 ranks in CS:GO divided into several levels; players must overcome 17 ranks to reach their goal: Global Elite. The ranks, in ascending order, are as follows:

• Silver I
• Silver II
• Silver III
• Silver IV
• Silver Elite
• Silver Elite Master
• Gold Nova I
• Gold Nova II
• Gold Nova III
• Gold Nova Master
• Master Guardian I
• Master Guardian II
• Master Guardian Elite
• Distinguished Master Guardian
• Legendary Eagle
• Legendary Eagle Master
• Supreme Master First Class
• The Global Elite

CS:GO Rankings

As we have mentioned, these ranks make more balanced matchmaking to have balanced games and face players with similar skill levels. In the lowest levels (Silver I - Gold Nova Master) are usually players with little experience in the game or simply those who have just arrived.

However, as players increase their level of play, they will gradually climb up this pyramid of ranks. Remember that the higher your rank, the more complicated opponents you will face in competitive matches. Finally, players who reach the Global Elite class will represent the pinnacle of competitive CS:GO play.

All CS:GO players have as their main mission to reach, at some point, the maximum competitive rank, that is, the Global Elite. However, it is no secret that most of them get stuck in ranks like Master Guardian Elite or Legendary Eagle, which are good, but their skill level does not allow them to continue climbing this pyramid.

To become a Global Elite, besides having very good skills, practicing a lot, and having good performance in the games, it is essential to have a group of friends to play with. It is no secret that the multiplayer video game community is often toxic, so losing a game because of a single player can end a recent streak of success.

How do I rank up in CS?

To rank up in Counter-Strike (CS) or, in this case, CS:GO, you must mainly consider your performance in all the competitive games you play. At this point, we refer to kills, assists, and your contributions to win the rounds (MVP).

On many occasions, players may have a spectacular match in every way, but their team did not help them win. As a result, the number of points earned for leveling up will not be the same for ranking up. However, thanks to the MMR, as long as you perform well in games and do everything necessary to win, you can score points despite losing games.

Now, to rank up in CS, you can follow the following steps:

• Practice daily to be the best at what you do, like everything in life.
• In competitive games, give your best. It doesn't matter if your team doesn't help you or is just trolling the game. The MMR system will detect your performances and reward you with points despite defeats.
• Play with friends: to avoid what we have just mentioned, it is best to play with friends who have the same skill level as you.
• Avoid leaving games: Besides a time penalty, you will be penalized with points for leaving games.
• Watch tutorials on YouTube: watching tutorials or watching our favorite players try to replicate their moves in our competitive games is always a great idea.
• Use Steam Workshop maps: this is extremely important for warming up before you enter a competitive game. You can warm up using different training maps so you don't feel sluggish in your first games of the day.
• Have good communication with your team: although it is true that it is advisable to play with friends, try to communicate as well as possible if you are playing alone. This is the best way to have a winning atmosphere in a team in a competitive game.
• Learn how to throw grenades: currently, thousands of tutorials on YouTube explain how to throw each of the grenades in the game. Remember that this secondary equipment can be fundamental in winning or losing a round.

New rankings system in CS2

The arrival of CS2 is closer than ever, and the community is increasingly excited to see that when they open their CS:GO, they have an invitation to play the beta of the new game. And is that as we mentioned, last August 31, Valve introduced a lot of changes to the game.

First of all, we have the fact that Valve introduced the Inferno rework so that everyone in the community can test it before the official launch. However, the most important thing about this update was undoubtedly the new CS2 rank system.

In Counter-Strike 2, we can play in two completely different modes within Valve's official Matchmaking. The first of these is Premier Mode, a completely new mode where players will not play for a specific rank but will climb positions within a table at a regional level worldwide. In other words, this is what players have been asking for for a long time, and, as a result, many decided to embark on their journey on different external platforms.

In addition, in CS2 Premier Mode, players can ban maps before starting the game, i.e., no more random maps in Valve's official MM.

On the other hand, this mode will be played in the MR12 format, i.e. the one seen in games of other games such as VALORANT. In this format, teams must add 13 rounds instead of 16 (MR15) to win the map. In addition, if there is a 12-12 tie, the classic Overtime will be played, but only for six rounds.

In this mode, players will earn points to raise their level within the regional leaderboards in each season. Finally, the developers emphasize that this is a transparent system and that it is based not only on victories but also on your performance in the games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6BNHro0vSg

Can we all play CS2 Premier mode?

The answer is yes, all players can play the CS2 Premier Mode if they have the "Prime" status active in the game. Finally, the regions that will have leaderboards are as follows:

• Africa
• Asia
• Australia
• China
• Europe
• North America
• South America

Similarly, this is not the only way to play MM in CS2 since Valve kept the ranks we mentioned at the beginning of this article, but in a mode called the "CS2 skill group system".

In this mode, players who do not want to play Premier Mode will have a sort of trip to the past, as they will be able to have the same ranks we all knew in CS:GO. However, unlike in the past, in this mode, players can have different ranks on each map. For example, if you play well in Inferno and have good stats while winning many games, you can become a Global Elite on this map. Otherwise, if you have a bad performance and few victories in Mirage, you can become Silver I on this map.

Anyway, we are still in the beta phase of CS2, but we are looking forward to the official arrival of the game in the next few weeks.