What Makes Counter-Strike an Ageless Classic in Esports?

| Tags: | Author
What Makes Counter-Strike an Ageless Classic in Esports?

Of all the esports titles that have ever graced gamer's screens, few can boast the mainstream success of Counter-Strike.


Held in similar or even greater esteem than its contemporaries StarCraft and Dota, Counter-Strike is a classic with a legacy going all the way back to November 2000. Since then, esports has risen from obscurity to become a worldwide phenomenon, and Counter-Strike has played a consistent part in its success.

During this time, some games like StarCraft have held their time in the spotlight only to lose their place on the podium. Others, like Dota, have had to expand massively on their original systems to stay fresh. Counter-Strike, on the other hand, has experienced mostly only cosmetic changes to be kept up to date. Despite this, CS remains as one of the most celebrated esports games of all time, as illustrated by www.esportsearnings.com, but how has it accomplished this feat?

The Counter-Strike Legacy

Undoubtedly one of the most profound contributors to Counter-Strike's popularity is the revelation it became in the early ages of internet and LAN gaming. When CS:GO arrived there was nothing else like it, at least no game which offered the level of polish which early CS:GO accomplished. It became the stuff of legend, a game that filled the right spot at the right time.

Right when LANs reached the mainstream, Counter-Strike was there. Just as action gaming became viable over faster internet, Counter-Strike was there. When computers became ubiquitous, Counter-Strike was there. It was the perfect storm, giving CS:GO a leap out of the gate that practically no other esports title would ever match.

Simplicity, Marketability, and Mastery

The other side of this equation comes from the related fields of simplicity, the game’s marketability, and its incredibly high skill ceiling. For example, consider how an outside viewer might see StarCraft. Extremely high APM and rapid movement can make the game largely inscrutable. Similarly, in Dota, the 100+ individual heroes listed at www.dota2freaks.com can confuse spectators, even if the ultimate goal remains simple.

Counter-Strike takes a different avenue, in that it exudes a form of purity. Kill the opposing team, defuse the bomb, rescue the hostages. Use guns, grenades, and knives. This fundamental backbone has remained the same since inception, and while the number of guns has increased from 25 to 34, the overall methodology of play is still relatively simple to understand and follow, even for the uninitiated.

This is one of the reasons why Counter-Strike has also become popular on betting websites like www.vulkanbet.com. While other games might struggle to gain traction outside of their dedicated spheres due to alienation, CS:GO more easily finds its footing. There is a huge variety of matches taking place all over the world, and odds on matches are constantly updated. Players can place their bets very easily, which reflects the simplistic quality of the game.

The final component of CS:GO's enduring popularity is that of mastery. Anybody can play a low-level game of CS:GO and understand the basics in minutes. Gaining the top-tier level of skills, however, will require thousands of hours of experience, meta-discussion, and careful planning. Like many traditional non-electronic games, this gives people of all skill levels something to enjoy, even if they play in very different ways.

12034135733 c001f91b14 c
“EPS XI Counter Strike: Global Offensive” (CC BY 2.0) by artubr

Looking at the big picture of a game like Counter-Strike, it’s difficult to measure it against any other esports. This is because, as a type of sport still in its infancy, there is no telling the form esports will eventually take. That said, given what Counter-Strike can offer, and the path it's traveled so far, we wouldn't be surprised to find it becomes the digital equivalent of golf or football. Counter-Strike is here to stay, that much is certain, no matter what new developments esports might bring.

Avatar of Alex Mcalpine
Alex Mcalpine
Alex graduated from UWO with a degree in journalism. He is a Battle Royale and FPS guru. He often reads 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' as he is ranked in the top 100 on the PUBG leaderboards. Alex is also an Overwatch and CoD expert. You can learn more about Alex via our About page.