After ten strong years, Valve is announcing the end of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to make way for Counter-Strike’s next sequel: Counter-Strike 2. Lots of visual and gameplay mechanic changes are coming with the release of CS2, as well as a new ranking system. Valve has introduced the Premier Competitive mode, which is likely going to be the most played game mode in CS2. This article will dive into the Premier ranking system and how it will affect competitive matches.
New Premier Mode
In CSGO, the ranking system involved skill groups, such as Legendary Eagle, The Global Elite, and more. However, the ranking system was imperfect and inflated. And, when players have reached The Global Elite, there’s nothing more to achieve. These reasons have made high-level and professional players avoid Valve’s matchmaking and use third-party ranking systems from platforms like ESEA and FACEIT.
Valve has learned from their mistake and will implement a new ranking system in Counter-Strike 2. Instead of having skill groups, players will be measured by a points system, similar to the MMR system in Dota 2. Depending on the result, players gain or lose points after completing a Premier mode CS2 match.
Players can see their global leaderboard rankings since points are much easier to measure than skill groups. With the addition of a leaderboard system, players at the top of the mountain will have something to grind for and won’t be stuck on “The Global Elite” with no way to go up.
How Will Premier Mode Affect Competitive Matches And Esports?
We will discuss the new features of Premier mode and how it can benefit the CS2 community.
New Veto Process
In Premier mode matches, teams will go through a veto, taking turns banning maps until one remains. In CSGO, players could choose which maps to queue.
Many Global Elite players only play one or two maps they have mastered. This change forces players out of their comfort zone, as they won’t be able to spam one map every game.
MR12 Instead Of MR15
The new mode also changed the previous MR15 round system to MR12, which means there is a maximum of 12 rounds per half, and teams need 13 rounds to win without overtime. The MR12 format is a welcomed change for casual players, as it makes CS2 matches end faster, making it less time-consuming for players.
However, Valve has not changed how the economy works in the new MR12 system, which has caused imbalances in how money works. Valve will have to reevaluate how the economy works in the game before professional CS2 tournaments are held.
How Does The Esports Scene Benefit?
The new ranking system can also benefit the esports scene, as up-and-coming talent can grind for high leaderboard ranks and expose their skills to the public. The new leaderboard system could become a good place for professional teams to scout fresh talent. This scouting method has worked effectively in Dota 2, so if the leaderboard system is done properly, we can expect to see it working for CS2 players as well.
Regional and worldwide leaderboards are available, so players can see how they stack up in their region and also the world. Teams from different regions can focus on the regional leaderboard to pool potential talent in their team. The Premier mode system makes the path to becoming a Counter-Strike pro much more straightforward, which greatly benefits the esports scene.
Problems With Premier Mode In CS2 Beta
Though Premier mode sounds good on paper, the Beta version of CS2’s Premier mode comes with a lot of issues.
Unfair Matchmaking
One big problem with the new Premiere mode in the CS2 beta is constant unfair matchmaking. Though players have explicit measurements of their ranks through the points system, Valve’s matchmaker does not always match players fairly.
Teams with an average of 8,000 Elo can play against teams with double their average. This significant disparity in skill will create very imbalanced CS2 live scores, making it less fun for the lower-ranked stack.
Though that itself is already a big problem, the higher ranked teams will still win a fair amount of points, which means the lower ranked players will have their points stolen in a match where they have insurmountable odds.
What Do Professional Players Think About Premier Mode?
Professional players complain that most of the top 100 leaderboard players are forming teams of five to exploit the system’s flaws. Players with 20,000 to 30,000 elo are teaming up to play against players far below their skill level to rank up quickly.
Almost all players in the Top 20 have 85 to 95% win rates in over 200 to 400 CS2 matches. This obviously shouldn’t be possible if they were matched against people of their skill level.
Currently, only one or two Tier 1 or 2 CSGO professional players are in the top 50, with ex-Evil Geniuses player Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte sitting in Rank 19. The other unknown players have insurmountable win rates because they are abusing the system, not because they are good enough to deserve it.
With how it is now, the Premier mode leaderboards are not a solid representation of the best players in the world. Professional players do not find grinding the leaderboards worth it as long as unfair matchmaking is still in place.
The Root Of The Problem?
Though the Premier mode ranking system sounds like a bust in the CS2 beta, the root of the problem is likely because there aren’t enough players yet. All of the top thirty teams in CSGO are still focused playing CSGO matches you can check out here, and have yet to transition to CS2.
We must remember that Premier mode and CS2 are still in beta, and matchmaking issues like these could easily be fixed if Valve puts in the effort.
Conclusion
The Premier mode in CS2 offers a brand new ranking system with lots of potential to outdo the ranking system in CSGO. Players will go through a veto process, play in MR12 format instead of MR15, and have a leaderboard system in place, which can help potential talent get scouted. However, the beta version of Premier mode has some serious issues. If these issues are fixed, the new ranking system could have a hugely positive impact on the CS2 community.
