CS2 Esports News

The official ESL Counter-Strike X account announced that FaZe Clan has forfeit their EPL S22 Stage 2 opening game against G2 Esports. A Management Debacle The forfeit is a result of multiple roster changes FaZe Clan made in recent days. According to the Valve rulebook, an invited team must field at least three unchanged members from the invited roster. The ESL Pro League S22 invites were sent on July 7 as per Valve’s ruling, and the FaZe roster featured s1mple,more

Just 2 days after the October 2 update introduced two new community maps, Transit and Rooftop, to the Wingman in CS2, Valve removed Transit from official matchmaking. While Rooftop remains accessible, Transit was pulled from the game in today's update due to multiple serious issues discovered after its addition. Reasons Behind the Removal Investigations by the community, including @Ozzny_CS2, revealed that Transit contained a racial slur and potential copyright infringements. Furthermore, the map featured advertisements for a real Russian memecoinmore

The first stage of ESL Pro League Season 22 was anything but predictable. FURIA and G2 Esports, the two teams with trophies in 2025, just barely made it through. Instead, HOTU, Inner Circle, Gentle Mates — completely unknown teams in T1 Counter-Strike — qualified without dropping a game. Starting tomorrow, October 4, the big dogs join the fray. Stage 2 of EPL S22 will feature the top 8 VRS teams along with the 8 teams qualified via the first stage.more

After more than three years running the league dedicated to promoting the female Counter-Strike scene, ESL has made the decision to suspend their Impact Circuit. Following the conclusion of ESL Impact League Season 8 in November, the circuit will be suspended indefinitely. ESL Impact League Draws to a Close The ESL Impact series kicked off all the way back in 2022, with Nigma Galaxy taking the first trophy in Katowice. Later that same year, Season 1 launched what would becomemore

Last week, on September 29, Counter-Strike 2 completed two years since its release. While there was no celebratory post by Valve, the community hoped for a big update. But the October 2 update turned out to be disappointing. Especially if you have been keeping up with the rumors and leaks, the update felt underwhelming. Was it all bad? No—there were some interesting updates and tweaks, but none significant enough to be called a big anniversary update. What’s Great and What’smore

Valve has released a substantial 6.5 GB update for Counter-Strike 2 on October 1st, 2025, bringing a wealth of new content and gameplay improvements to the tactical shooter. This significant patch represents one of the largest content drops in recent months, demonstrating Valve's continued commitment to evolving the game's ecosystem. The update focuses heavily on cosmetic additions through The Armory, introduces four new community maps that expand the competitive landscape, and implements several quality-of-life enhancements that should improve the overallmore

Riot Games has officially revealed Teemo as the tenth fighter in 2XKO, set to join the game’s roster and early access launch on October 7, 2025. Teemo’s arrival brings a unique blend of personality and strategic depth to the 2v2 tag fighting game, offering both longtime League of Legends fans and new players a new character to master. Teemo’s Playstyle and Key Moves Teemo’s fighting style in 2XKO draws directly from his League of Legends origins, focusing on setup-heavy, trap-based, and zoning gameplay. His toolkit includes laying traps, aiming his signature blow darts, and manipulating the battlefield with various obstacles.more

After 3541 days on the team, FaZe Clan have decided to bench Håvard “rain” Nygaard. The MVP of the team's only Major trophy, he has been the solid backboard for the team’s chaos to bounce off. The Star and the Leader Rain joined FaZe as part of the organization’s acquisition of the G2-Kinguin roster. The relatively young international experiment, one of the first of its kind, filled with star power made their name with back-to-back solid Major runs in 2015.more

The $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA Games) by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the latest (but not the last) movement we will continue seeing by petrodollars owners in their quest to dominate yet another ecosystem. Beyond the sheer financial magnitude, this symbolizes a shift toward centralized control of competitive gaming by a single geopolitical entity. For esports stakeholders, players, fans, developers, and organizations, this new reality demands a critical, nuanced examination, beforemore

The gaming community received quite the shock in September 2025 when Valve rolled out one of Counter-Strike 2's most controversial updates yet. The Genesis Uplink Terminal update introduced a completely revolutionary approach to skin acquisition that has sparked intense debates about monetization, fairness, and the future of CS2's economy. The Genesis Collection: A New Era of Skin Distribution The update brought 17 brand-new community-created weapon skins to CS2, but accessing them requires navigating Valve's experimental Arms Dealer Terminal system. Unlike traditional cases that relymore

If you don’t keep up with FACEIT players, you probably have no idea who nocries is. The talk of the Counter-Strike town, nocries is an 18-year-old prodigy playing in premium matchmaking in North America. The player garnered notoriety for his unbelievable Counter-Strike skills and has been under community purview because of it. The traction was enough to force FACEIT to invite him to their HQ and compete under their supervision. Who is nocries? With stats better than donk's, CS2’s greatestmore

After Twistzz returned to FaZe Clan following the conclusion of Fissure Playground #2, Team Liquid was left with an incomplete roster. While EliGE was rumored to come back, the jcobbb move seemed to shut the door on that possibility. Fortunately for Liquid fans, the move is all but confirmed, as the Frag Blocktober roster list leaked his inclusion. Is EliGE actually back? With Team Liquid yet to make an official announcement, it’s hard to confirm if EliGE is rejoining the roster permanently or just subbing in until a replacement is found. Rumors suggested he would join as part of amore

FURIA’s victory over The MongolZ in the FISSURE Playground #2 grand final marked a historic milestone for the Brazilian organization as they claimed their first S-tier title in competitive Counter-Strike. This Best-of-5 series went the full distance across Mirage, Inferno, Nuke, Overpass, and Dust2, offering a dramatic and hard-fought battle between two teams. This article delves into the key elements of FURIA’s success, the pivotal moments that shaped the series, and the standout performances that tilted the scales in their favor. Setting the Stage FISSURE Playground #2 was characterized by a somewhat weaker field than typical global events, with somemore

Starting September 28th, Stockholm will host 24 Counter-Strike teams for the 22nd Edition of ESL Pro League. Here's a look at everything you need to know about the tournament. Teams and Format ESL Pro League Season 22 will feature three stages: Stage 1 Will feature the qualifier teams and the bottom VRS Global teams. [table id=142 /] 16-team Swiss bracket Bo3 games 8 teams qualify for Stage 2 Stage 2 8 directly invited teams + 8 teams qualified via Stagemore

After an impressive victory over Team Liquid, The MongolZ have secured their spot in the FISSURE Playground 2 Grand Finals, setting up what promises to be an electrifying showdown against FURIA, who advanced after defeating Team Falcons in their semifinal match. This Grand Finals matchup represents a fascinating clash between Asia's premier Counter-Strike powerhouse and Brazil's revitalized international roster, both teams bringing contrasting but equally effective approaches that have carried them through a competitive field to reach this pivotal moment.more

Counter-Strike 2 received a new update on September 17, 2025, introducing the Genesis Collection. While the cosmetic additions were the highlight, a small yet impactful change – “various improvements to subtick shooting consistency” – had sparked widespread debate in the community. Many players, including professionals, claimed that the game felt drastically different, particularly when it came to spraying weapons. Player Backlash Against Shooting Changes Since release, Counter-Strike 2’s subtick system has been one of the most discussed mechanics, promising moremore

At its core, esports is a marketing tool for competitive games to showcase the full spectrum of the possibilities. What started as local LAN parties and gaming conventions has now grown into a full-fledged industry; an industry that fills arenas, supports thousands of careers and impacts millions of lives daily. These events that started small, now support an investment market with a humble valuation of $3.7 billion (2025) and is expected to rise to $40 billion before 2034. This growingmore

Last night, September 16, with the latest update Valve released the Genesis Collection and, with it, debuted a new way to get skins in Counter-Strike 2: the Arms Dealer Uplink Terminal. The kicker here is the price of the skins offered, with ST Coverts (Reds) costing $1500. $1500 for a Red? To the uninitiated, the Genesis Uplink Terminal essentially provides you with five skin choices as offers from the Arms Dealers. If you choose to accept the offer, you pay the suggested price and receive the skin. While the terminal itself and unsealing it does not incur a cost, youmore

Earlier today, September 16, Valve released a new update to Counter-Strike 2, debuting a new collection and an all-new way to buy Counter-Strike skins. The update also aims to improve subtick shooting consistency, and introduces new grenade sounds and new inspect options as well. Genesis Collection and an All-New Way to Buy Skins The update comes with a new Genesis Collection, featuring 17 new skins. Unlike the other collections that are either available via the weekly drop or through themore

The MongolZ continue to make history in Counter-Strike 2. Earlier today, they took down TYLOO at the Fissure Playground #2. With the win, they overtake Team Vitality to claim the number one spot in the VRS rankings. With a strong 2-1 standing in the Swiss Stage and a growing list of accolades, The MongolZ are now the highest-ranked team globally. bLitz’s Humble Reaction In-game leader Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren shared a humble response to their new ranking on social media. Hemore