CS2 Esports News

The Counter-Strike 2 updates continue to rain down from Valve. Starting with the Mission Possible update that marked the re-introduction of missions to the game at the start of May, we’ve had 4 updates in just 8 days. While most of these are bug fixes, Valve has also been shipping smaller, quality-of-life (QoL) improvements with each patch. Earlier today, a similar update hit the game. With patch notes barely crossing 100 words, this might be one of those small package,more

In a shocking (not so shocking) turn of events, seven members of ATOX Esports have received severe penalties following an extensive match-fixing investigation by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). The Mongolian organization has been at the center of one of the most significant integrity violation scandals in recent Counter-Strike history, with punishments ranging from temporary suspensions to lifetime bans. The Investigation The investigation began after suspicious betting patterns were detected during ATOX's match against Team Falcons in the ESL Promore

“Hosting another Major is an incredible honor, and we’re determined to make it unforgettable.”  StarLadder has announced it will be hosting the second Counter-Strike 2 Major of 2025, set to take place across November and December. By the hand of StarLadder, Budapest will play hosts to the final Major clash of the year as the best teams in CS head to Hungary for what promises to be an event to remember. StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: The Details The second Majormore

According to a report from Sheep Esports, prodigious Russian talent Maksim "kyousuke" Lukin is all set to join Team Falcons following the Austin Major 2025, replacing Magisk on the roster. Who is Kyousuke? The 17 year old Counter-Strike phenomenon has been part of Team Spirit Academy since June 2024. Despite his limited experience, many, including donk, Zywoo and magixx, believe him to be a generational talent who can take over Tier-1 Counter-Strike. In an interview with HLTV, magixx went asmore

The Esports World Cup Foundation announced today the launch of Road to EWC, a global campaign centered on the player and Club journeys. “The global initiative will spotlight the diverse paths players take to qualify for the EWC, celebrating the passion, rivalries, and competitive spirit that connect global audiences to the world’s largest esports event.” Building Up to the Esports World Cup Set to run from May until August, Road to EWC will be more, well, a road through. With the Esports World Cup 2025 kicking off on July 7th and running until August 28th, the campaign will document themore

The first and the biggest Valve-sponsored Counter-Strike 2 event of the year is upon us. The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 will feature 32 teams competing across four stages for the ultimate glory in CS esports. The event will span a total of four weeks, and not only promises intense action, but sticker capsules, souvenir packages and the official pick’ems. Let’s see what the tournament side has in store for us. Teams and Format As mentioned before, a total of 32 teams will play four separate stages. Stage 1 16 team Swiss bracket Features teams qualified via MRQ First two stagesmore

Valve’s latest update for Counter-Strike 2, which went live today, has already stirred controversy in the community after players discovered two game-breaking bugs. Molotov Bug Lets Players See Through Smokes The first and more critical of the two concerns the interaction between Molotovs and smoke grenades - an issue that poses a serious threat to the game’s competitive integrity. Multiple videos posted online show players using Molotovs or Incendiary Grenades to gain an unfair advantage by allowing them to seemore

Valve dropped a significant update for Counter-Strike 2 on May 7, 2025, titled Mission Possible. The update brings a host of new community maps, introduces a weekly mission system, and makes several quality-of-life improvements to the game. Players can now look forward to exploring five new community-designed maps, including the long-awaited return of fan-favorite Agency, which has received a visual overhaul for CS2. The update also introduces a meaningful progression system through Weekly Missions that reward players with XP formore

Last night, well-known content creator and credible Valve data miner Gabe Follower made a cryptic tweet that has sent shockwaves across the community. The tweet featured six emojis, and nothing else. Usually, his tweets are longer and more contextual, but this one wasn’t. Being the crazy community Counter-Strike is, they quickly got to work trying to decrypt what the message meant. Six new maps!? The hopeful meaning behind the tweet? Six new maps coming to the game with the upcomingmore

The Counter-Strike skins market has officially surpassed $5 billion in total market capitalization, marking an unprecedented milestone in gaming economies. This staggering figure, confirmed by PriceEmpire data on May 6, 2025, represents not just the largest in-game cosmetics market in the world, but a digital economy larger than the GDP of some small nations. The Explosive Growth The pace of growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. It took a full year for the market to expand from $3 billionmore

The BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 wrapped up last night, with Team Vitality extending their dominant streak. Meanwhile, Team Falcons continue to surprise as the standout challenger, firmly establishing themselves as a genuine contender ahead of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. Now, the focus shifts to PGL Astana 2025, a crucial stop where the remaining teams will sharpen their strategies to rise up to the upcoming “major” challenge.  Starting May 10th, sixteen teams including top dogs like Team Spirit, The MongolZ,more

FaZe Clan have made a blockbuster move ahead of the Austin Major, benching long-time AWPer Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants and bringing in Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev on a short-term loan from Natus Vincere. It’s a decision that sends shockwaves through the Counter-Strike community, and perhaps just in time for a roster that has struggled to live up to expectations in 2025. Broky Benched After Six Years Broky's removal marks the end of an era. The Latvian sniper had been a permanent fixture in FaZe's lineup since 2019, helping the team reach some of its highest peaks including winning the PGL Antwerp Majormore

Team Vitality has cemented their status as the undisputed kings of CS2 by defeating Team Falcons 3-2 in a thrilling BLAST Rivals 2025 S1 Grand Finals today. The victory marks Vitality's fifth consecutive tournament win and extends their remarkable winning streak to 25 matches. A Five-Map Thriller The championship showdown delivered all the drama fans could hope for, with the series going the full distance across five intense maps. Team Falcons started strong by claiming Inferno 13-9, but Vitality respondedmore

With the Semifinals of BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 behind us, Copenhagen is primed for a blockbuster conclusion. Team Falcons and Team Vitality will square off in a Bo5 Grand Final matchup dripping with revenge. For Falcons, it’s another shot at redemption. For Vitality, it’s a chance to further cement their era of dominance. Falcons: Rising From the Ashes Team Falcons are in the midst of a renaissance. After lifting the trophy in Bucharest, the squad made a bold roster change by bringing in m0NESY in place of degster. The move paid off instantly, a second-place finish at IEM Melbourne turnedmore

Team Spirit is coming to put an end to Team Vitality's impressive streak of 23 matches without defeat. The two teams will face each other in the Semifinals of BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 1, with the encounter scheduled to take place Saturday, May 3rd, at 7 pm CET. With two of the strongest teams in Counter-Strike 2 going head to head, who will triumph in this clash of titans? Team Vitality Blasting Records Although the end of last year wasmore

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the creation of a new initiative which will see music play a larger role at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). The 'Music of EWC' program will feature original tracks from some of the most legendary studios and producers on the globe, as well as an open competition with amazing opportunities. Music of EWC: On the shoulders of giants The new initiative will be spearheaded by some of the leading figures inmore

The Counter-Strike Ancient map (de_ancient) is one of the most balanced and competitively engaging maps available today. Released as part of Operation Broken Fang in December 2020, Ancient replaced Train in the Active Duty map group by May 2021. Players enjoy its clear layout, tactical opportunities, and unique setting inspired by Aztec archaeology. Map Overview Ancient is set in an archaeological site surrounded by dense rainforest, likely located in Central America. The environment contains artifacts like pottery, ancient artwork, andmore

It’s been almost two years since Counter-Strike 2’s public release. While there have been improvements, the game still doesn’t compare to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s feel. The difference is especially glaring when it comes to spraying. Compared to its predecessor, spraying in CS2 just doesn’t feel right. The r/GlobalOffensive subreddit also reciprocates with the sentiment. Some members of the community have even taken the next step, and so to investigate what really makes CS2 so different, they dove deep into themore

Over 1.2 million fans tuned in to watch Team Vitality conquer Melbourne and secure the first ESL Grand Slam of Counter-Strike 2. The tournament didn’t just cement them as the team to beat, it also unveiled a new contender rising into the upper echelons of CS esports. Now, the battle shifts to the BLAST studio, where eight of the world’s best collide. At BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, MOUZ, Team Falcons, and Team Spirit will aim to end Vitality’s reign andmore

In a Grand Final that will be remembered for years, Team Vitality outlasted Team Falcons 3-2 to lift the IEM Melbourne 2025 trophy. The Golden Hornets kept their winning streak alive at 21, surviving a triple-overtime thriller on Nuke to close the series. Vitality looked dominant early, crushing Falcons 13-2 on Inferno and pushing them to the brink on Dust2 before losing in overtime. A hard-fought comeback on Train tilted momentum back in Vitality’s favor, but Falcons roared back withmore