CSGO to CS:2

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive popularly abbreviated to CS:GO is one of the most legendary games in the world. It is part of the iconic Counter-Strike franchise whose origins date back to 1999 as a modification of an illustrious title called Half-Life.

More than 11 years after its release, Valve is in the final stages of rolling out Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), which will be the successor to CS:GO and is built on Valve’s latest video game engine Source 2. This upgrade has been welcomed with open arms by the community but brings with it a whole set of new challenges for both the developers and players.

CS2 is already available to selective players who are also acting as playtests, providing Valve with the necessary feedback to implement changes to fine-tune the game. However, there are loads of doubts about how this massive shift would impact the overall gameplay along with the competitive side of things.

AFK Gaming might be able to answer some of these questions following its recent interaction with one of the top CS:GO commentators and analysts, James Bardolph, who is also the current Vice President of FACEIT Media.

Breaking Down the Future of Counter-Strike Franchise With Veteran Talent James Bardolph

To provide meaning and substance to this entire discussion, James explains why CS:GO is considered one of the best esports titles in the world, and factors that have resulted in its longevity to be at the pinnacle for well over a decade.

One of the primary factors for James is the spectacle of the game, which lies in its simplicity. He thinks it is a very easy game to understand, something he has observed at events where even the security guard at the door or by the stage is able to follow what is happening in the game.

“A simple measure for me has always been at events, where you've got like a security guard at a door or by a stage or something. They're able to follow along with what's happening. So the only time they might get confused, without any briefing as to how the game works, is halftime when the sides switch. But apart from that, it’s very clear and understandable what’s going on. There’s no magic in it per se or anything like that,” explains James.

Highlighting the accessibility of CS:GO, James compares it to old Street Fighter games, both being clear and understandable in their concepts. He further says that even the tools in CS:GO like firearms and utility are self-explanatory, which makes it a very intuitive game and is a key contributor to its success.

“I think there isn't really any bullshit in the game. I think it's beautiful in its simplicity and there's depth in the nuance, but it's a very accessible game. It's easy to pick up and play and it's easy to understand and watch,” says James.

He believes that the lack of nonsense makes for a better demonstration of individual skill to be on full display, something that a lot of games with champions or abilities are not able to showcase properly.

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Having set a solid premise, James went on to provide his expert opinion on what challenges and opportunities this shift from CS:GO to CS2 presents for the players, teams, organizers, and the community.

Opportunities for Players, Organizations, and Organizers

Talking about how CS2 could play out for existing and new players, James reckons that about 12 to 18 months after the game’s release there will be a significant difference in the game. Focussing on smoke grenades, he opines that they cover a large area and are too big at the moment, which immediately raises a lot of questions.

Providing a gameplay example based on the CS2 port of the iconic map Mirage, James explains “If you are trying to defend Mid from the CT perspective and somebody smokes Connector, you can’t defend Mid. You just can’t defend it, because you can’t see anything. So something like that in terms of a player's point of view, that’s one small example. But if it stays as it is, then CT might have to fight more aggressively in Mid, which might make things more brittle. So I think in the short term there will be challenges like that.”