What started as a Counter-Strike 1.6 community map called de_cpl_strike created by Michael "BubkeZ" Hull, would eventually become the de_mirage known today when it was altered in 2004. Valve would later remake the map for the launch of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . This version has been featured in every CS:GO Major Championships to date and has consistently been in the top 5 most played maps in both casual and professional play since 2

Websites quickly began exploiting the craze surrounding Counter Strike 's in-game items, with sites like CSGO Lotto allowing players to trade their items for eligibility into raffles for extremely valuable prizes. Many streamers began promoting these kinds of websites, often without disclosing their financial stakes in the services they were promoting. For example, popular streamer Phantoml0rd was famously permanently banned from Twitch for just this reason, despite later winning a civil suit against the platform. Twitch would quickly go on to ban these kinds of raffle or gambling websites related to CSGO , marking one of the first major gambling controversies for the serv

One of these is its CT-sided nature, which is likely what Nuke is most known for. While it was always a popular map despite this reputation, the casual and professional scene responded very positively to the changes. While many would argue it remains largely CT-sided, strong teams, structured or not, have options to be effective on the T-side creating a nice balance. Nuke remains in the Top 3 to 4 most-played maps in both casual and competitive pl

Managing the looting, complex gunplay, and punishing feelings of losing everything make Tarkov a true grind for newcomers. Its incredibly high TTK and lack of kill cams can make deaths feel impossible to learn from. Newcomers hoping to stick with the game will have to find a way to learn though, because Escape From Tarkov never holds the player's h

Overpass was first introduced in the Winter Offensive update back on December 18, 2013, as the first Counter-Strike map created specifically for competitive play. Despite this fact, the map saw many growing pains upon its release and for once it wasn't due to being CT-sided. On release, the map appeared to be very T-sided with pros noting how easy it was to gain map control and execute on to the A bomb s

It was always clear that Twitch's long history with gambling among its top streamers was eventually going to reach a climax, and this came recently with news regarding long-time streamer ItsSliker . Sliker began streaming on Twitch in 2019, quickly building up a commendable fan base via his networking with other streamers and unique commentary. Currently sitting at over 430,000 followers and once commanding thousands of concurrent Twitch subscribers, recent allegations surrounding the streamer have had a massive domino effect on the platform as a wh

The reason for this could be the high skill requirement or the popularity of its competitors, but regardless, CS:GO Danger Zone is a great option for those who are looking for something new in the battle royale universe that is unique and fun to learn and play. The game mode features the great gunplay that is a staple of Counter-Strike , along with a map pool full of unique and exciting environments, not to mention that it's also free. Therefore, if players are looking to try Danger Zone , then they should check out this guide for beginner tips for the game m

As one of the few maps created by Valve, Ancient was released on December 3, 2020, as part of Operation Broken Fang. It wouldn't be until May 3, 2021, when the map was moved to the active map pool replacing Train. While Train was a well-liked and balanced map to the CS:GO community, there was some sentiment that it did start to feel a bit stale despite being one of the first maps to be reworked. This was apparent in the decline in pick rate at the professional level, but especially in casual play which is likely the cause for the remo

As one of the oldest and most storied maps in competitive Counter-Strike history, Jo Bieg's creation in BETA 4.0 of the original Counter-Strike mod has seen iterations and remakes across every single game. Needless to say, Nuke is iconic and up there with the likes of Inferno and Dust II. Due to its reputation, it was the second map to receive a significant revision to not only update the aesthetic but also resolve issues that have persisted for ye

Consequently, players must be mindful of their choices to engage or not to engage with enemy players. Sometimes, it is a better option to let an encounter go if it means that they can regroup with their teammate or get better gear that will prepare them properly for an altercation later. Either way, players should remember that there's no shame in backing down from fights, as not doing so could result in a premature l

Some competitive multiplayer games are tough for newcomers to get into. This can be because of the complexity of the SLG game heroes, or the toxic gatekeeping of the established community. While many development studios are trying to make their games as widely accessible as possible, there are still some that are an absolute grind for new players to le