After much community demand, Valve has rolled out a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive patch addressing complaints about character animations and hitbox detection. It's a mammoth update, but the biggest change is probably the brand new player body and world model weapon animations.
The studio has also created a solution to the enduring problem of weapon models sometimes sticking through walls, doors or other surfaces (for a good demonstration of that problem, check out this video). Oh, and the M4A1-S now has reduced price, armor penetration, ROF and an increased base spread.
Again, the update is substantial so it's worth browsing the patch notes in their entirety. After that, go read Michal Malachowski's tips on how to master the AWP.
CS:GO skins and all other Steam Market items are subject to a $400 maximum listing price. Items are often sold for greater sums through key trades, a sub-currency of the CS:GO economy. A single CS:GO key costs $2.50 USD and can be sold on the Steam Marketplace. To break through the $400 ceiling, you convert your listing price to a key value. If you want to sell an item for $500, divide your listing price by the key value, 500 by 2.5: 200 keys. Most people use third-party trading websites to list CS:GO s rarest wares, but once a trade is made, those keys can be sold back into the Steam Marketplace.
There are some skins in our list that definitely break that cap, but due to both the extraordinary rarity of these items and their inconsistent prices in the key market, we ve pulled our best estimates from varying trading sites. These are subject to change on a whim, but remain impressive no matter how transitory.
[Updated 5/11/2016]
PC Gamer Pro is a new channel dedicated to esports and competitive gaming. Check back every day for exciting, fun and informative articles about League of Legends, Dota 2, Hearthstone, CS:GO and more. GL HF!
Victoria, StatTrak, Factory New
The Arms Deal 3 Collection, February 2014
Like a tiny machine gun for a wee tiny person, the CZ75 is great for quickly getting rid of all those pesky bullets weighing you down. Hand-decorated with gold accents and a scroll pattern, it signifies the bearer is classy and refined, so remember to extend a pinkie while firing.
Hand Cannon, StatTrak, Factory New
The eSports 2014 Summer Collection, July 2014
Weave a deadly web of bullets and preteen regret with this premium Desert Eagle, available exclusively at Hot Topic. There s no other gun capable of ensnaring such a dangerous tableaux of tacky fashion memories while firing actual bullets. Be the talk of 2005 with Crimson Web.
Cobalt Quartz, Souvenir, Factory New
The Lake Collection, November 2013
For the terrorist on a budget, look to the affordable and mostly harmless dual Beretta. To really spend money, though, you've got to go for the Souvenir editions, which commemorate various CS:GO Championships. Covered in blue quartz and gold stickers, they'll look fantastic in the dirt next to your dead body.
Case Hardened, StatTrak, Factory New
The Arms Deal 2 Collection, November 2013
Case-hardening is a chemical and industrial process that requires ferritic nitrocarburizing, nitriding, cyaniding, or, in the case of CS:GO, painting something in a computer. Either way, it's an added expense, but if buyers stand still and squint closely, they can actually see the detail they paid for.
The Assault Collection, August 2013
If you want a weapon skin that looks like it was created with a single click on a Photoshop gradient, look to the Fade for the Glock-18. Pricey due to its status as a default weapon (despite not having StatTrak), it still moves dozens of units a week, but its sheer ugliness makes it easy to understand why one poor dope sold his for $5.17 back in early May 2014.
Ocean Foam, StatTrak, Factory New
The Bravo Collection, September 2013
There's not much difference between the prices of the Factory New or Minimal Wear versions of the Ocean Foam skin for the P2000, so you might as well go with a new one. Or, maybe spend that money on gas and drive to the nearest beach to frolic in some real, actual ocean foam. (Note: if the ocean is suspiciously foamy, it's probably industrial waste.)
Asiimov, StatTrak, Minimal Wear
The Chroma 3 Collection, April 2016
Look close enough and you ll notice that the entirety of Asimov s Foundation series is actually inscribed on this P250 s trigger. It s a metaphor for the power of reading! Jokes. This was just as close to Mass Effect as they could get without tipping off the Andromeda.
The Revolver Case Collection, December 2015
The thing about this revolver is that in some places it is orange and in some places it is pink. There are worse things to spend 40 bucks on that are orange and pink in places. $40 of grapefruit, for instance. No one wants that much grapefruit. Get real. Buy a gun skin.
Nuclear Threat, Souvenir, Minimal Wear
The Nuke Collection, August 2013
Great news if you love the Tec-9: the skins don t push high volumes, even with StatTrak, because absolutely no one wants them. The bad news: if no one wants them, there's probably a reason.
Kill Confirmed, StatTrak, Factory New
The Shadow Collection, September 2015
On this USP-S, Banksy somehow snuck into CS:GO and painted a bullet passing through a skull. The Plain Jane message and exaggerated, kitschy art style are meant to deemphasize the act of pulling a virtual trigger, and make you consider this: what if there was a Disneyland, but it was a bad Disneyland?
The Bravo Collection, September 2013
If you want a Factory New Fire Serpent, a swim in the murky waters of third-party trading forums is your best bet. That said, some are fairly reputable and require building several layers of verification and trust before allowing you to spend over a grand on viewmodel texture.
The Rising Sun Collection, May 2015
What is the true price of anime? CS:GO has made the question less rhetorical and pointless by throwing an anime magazine cover on an AUG. Turns out, it s expensive enough to find a way into the key market. Good job, anime.
Dragon Lore, Factory New (Field Tested pictured)
The Cobblestone Collection, July 2014
When this skin first dropped, it was known to go for nearly $10,000. Over time, it settled down to a measly 500 or so key average. Pocket change, really. There are that many CS:GO keys between my couch cushions at any given moment.
Before you overspend, read our AWP guide.
The Alpha Collection, September 2013
Painting a mouth on the front of a WWII fighter? Very cool. Painting one on the front of a rifle? Mm, doesn't really work. It basically looks like the gun was dropped in wet paint. There are plenty of better looking (and cheap) FAMAS skins, if you ask me.
The Executioner, StatTrak, Minimal Wear
The Revolver Case Collection, December 2015
The Executioner has been painted with a gruesome display of bone. Damn right it s gruesome. For 250 bucks of bone, the gruesome-per-capita better be sky high! Check out those two bones on the side, crossed over one another in an X gruesome.
Cerberus, Souvenir, Factory New
The Cache Collection, November 2014
If you re looking to maximize your dogs per skin, boy, do we have a deal for you! There s a three-headed demon beast emblazoned on the side of this gun, which is mighty cool. Maybe not 200 bucks cool, but that s the price you pay for triple the dog.
Chantico s Fire, StatTrak, Factory New
The Chroma 3 Collection, April 2016
This M4A1-S skin is a short story in absolutes. Chantico is the Aztec goddess of fires in hearths (cozy, pop down here, let s cuddle, etc.) and volcanos. She s also the goddess of precious things, which is extremely appropriate for such a unique CS:GO skin. Don t touch it. Mine.
The Huntsman Collection, May 2014
Your GUN won't be the ONLY thing howling if you drop that much cash on a Howl skin: your WALLET will ALSO be howling! Ha ha! But seriously, you could feed a family of five for like a while with that much money.
The Howl's extraordinary price is due to the unusual controversy that followed it after release, which included the gun's removal from distribution but not from owners' inventories. CS:GO stopped dropping new Howls long ago, so the lucky initial owners of this lion-faced piece of copyright infringement own one of the most coveted status symbols in the game.
Cardiac, StatTrak, Factory New
The Vanguard Collection, November 2014
Let s go, Broncos! is what the average Cardiac owner says at least four times a game. Or I like basic color theory in blockbuster films! again, four times minimum. Maybe My favorite colors are blue and orange in no particular order! but no more than twice. No one likes a boisterous color fan.
Ultraviolet, StatTrak, Factory New
The Arms Deal Collection, August 2013
If you can see the color of this skin, congratulations, you can see x-rays. If you can see a bunch of x-rays, I m sorry, that s probably very bad. At least you know your SG 553 is not just violet, but ultraviolet and that there s more to this life than meets the eye. 55 bucks well spent.
Blood in the Water, StatTrak, Factory New
The Arms Deal 2 Collection, November 2013
This gun has a shark on it, which makes you, the owner of said gun, a shark as well. I'm like a shark when I play, even without this gun. I immediately flop to the ground and die. In other news, good lord, that's a lot of money for a shark gun that doesn't launch actual sharks at players.
The Bravo Collection, October 2013
It breaks two commandments at the same time might be the eternal peak for CS:GO gun skin flavor text. The Graven is worth the $100 just for the goofs. But which two commandments? We ll let you puzzle that one out on your lonesome.
The Office Collection, August 2013
You can buy this skin for the MP7 that turns it completely white, which is coincidentally the color objects in games look when their skins don't load at all. So... money well spent, I'd say.
The Assault Collection, August 2013
This bone crusher is a devastator isn t the most colorful flavor text, even if the skin itself is a bright construction helmet yellow. Imagine a big dopey ogre or a massive tank-like robot saying it though, and all redundancy is forgiven.
Primal Saber, StatTrak, Factory New
The Chroma 3 Collection, April 2016
There s no shortage of skulls and stripes in CS:GO, thank goodness, and the Primal Saber fills an oft sought after bone niche: the prehistoric predator. If only the flavor text wasn t a wheel-spinning portentous prophecy. Every predator eventually meets their end. Well, sure. Death is a thing. Truly, this is a skin for the most melancholic of CS:GO players; those who prioritize poesy over precision.
Judgement of Anubis, StatTrak, Factory New
The Chroma 3 Collection, April 2016
For a game without respawns, invoking Anubis, an Egyptian god associated with mummification and rebirth, seems a bit off brand. But, phonetically, Anubis sounds like someone important and powerful, which is enough for some, but he s also a person with a dog head, and who doesn t love dogs? Or at least the head part of the dog? No?
Death By Kitty, StatTrak, Minimal Wear
The eSports 2013 Collection, August 2013
Also known mockingly as the "Pro 90," the significant amount of surface area is put to good use here by covering CS:GO's most powerful SMG in multicolored cat skulls. I'm not mad, just disappointed. I'm also not surprised you're both popular and expensive.
The Alpha Collection, September 2013
This mag-fed shotgun has a construction-themed paint job, which means you can yell PARDON OUR DUST after you kill someone. If you're on Dust at the time, it's a double-pun. Look, it's a shotgun with some yellow stripes on it, what the hell do you want from me?
Bloomstick, StatTrak, Factory New
The eSports 2014 Summer Collection, July 2014
The flowers on this gun s stock cancel out the violence. You can t put a price on peace. Buy today.
Orange DDPAT, StatTrak, Factory New
The eSports 2013 Collection, August 2013
By the time you re close enough to notice the pixels it s already too late. It s never too late to admire the orange Digital Disruptive Pattern on this skin. Little pixelated Cheetos, dancing in the wind.
Fallout Warning, Souvenir, Factory New
The Nuke Collection, August 2013
The only true thing we know at PC Gamer is that putting a sticker on something makes it unequivocally cooler. As an addendum, the more stickers placed on that thing, its coolness grows exponentially. This Souvenir XM1014 has three stickers on the side, which qualifies it as an honorary prom king or queen in at least 20 different countries.
Blizzard Marbleized, Factory New
The Office Collection, August 2013
Use this gun skin and go prone on CS:GO s many eternally blizzarding arctic maps for a huge camouflage advantage.
The Assault Collection, August 2013
This Negev is navy blue in spots. Do you like navy blue? How many dollars deep is your love for navy blue?
Valve introduced cosmetic stickers to CS:GO in February 2014. Normally these are some of the cheapest items on the market a referential image of a funny banana man might set you back $0.84, for example.
Although the Contraband Howling Dawn sticker goes for about $100, the first-edition esports stickers are by far the priciest. Among them, Team iBUYPOWER s holographic sticker reaches a whole other level, seemingly due to the fact that the team was banned by Valve and dissolved after the discovery that they fixed matches for their own benefit. Although no listings exist at the time we re publishing this, there are several auto-buy orders for this controversial digital logo at $400.
Crimson Web, StatTrak, Factory New (Field Tested pictured)
For now, the Crimson Web M9 Bayonet is the most expensive item in Counter-Strike. Knives are arguably the CS mascot, so it s not that surprising so much value gets placed a long, deadly implement stored on your pants that tracks the number of people you ve stabbed with it. Nothing weird about that at all, nope. If I m being honest, there are much cooler-looking knives that can be had for just a couple hundred, like the Huntsman Fade or one of the raptorlike Karambit skins.
Tennis players know the peculiar feeling of zenlike calm and control that comes with starting a serve. Suddenly, all worries about footwork, planning drop shots, and recovering from an opponent s serve dissipate: the pace of the game rests in the palm of your hand.
Wielding Counter-Strike s deadliest gun is a little like that. Like a great tennis player, talented AWPers have a mixture of patience and confidence. They tap into a slow mindset and lightning reflexes simultaneously.
The AWP is an intimidator, both when it s pointed at you and when you re learning the weapon. Carrying an AWP isn t simply an equipment decision, but a discipline in and of itself with its own set of techniques, guidelines, and pitfalls.
The AWP is heavy, powerful, and expensive. Its reputation arises from the fact that, in a game about eliminating other players from the round, it s the only weapon that can kill someone with one body shot. However, it isn t a one-hit kill in all circumstances, as leg and lower groin shots deal 85 damage (aka legging ), as do shots that clip through surfaces such as railings or corners.
With the AWP s great power comes equal responsibility. Whether in a 5-on-5 competitive game or in casual mode, you ll put down $4,750 to buy an AWP. If that investment doesn t pay off (or worse, if an opponent kills you and steals it), it can break your team s economy for rounds to come. Other than the autosniper (aka the G3SG1/SCAR-20), the same can t be said for other investments in CS:GO.
Certain aspects of the AWP make it unwieldy to the newcomer, including its effect on mobility. A player running with the knife moves at 250 units per second; with a USP-S, 240 units per second; with the AK-47, 215; with the AWP, a mere 200 units per second—20 percent slower than with a knife. Only the light machine guns, the Negev and the M249 (195 units), are slower.
The AWP s firerate is equally slow, placing huge importance on hitting your first shot. The Scout, the AWP s cheaper sibling, features a similarly slow firerate but allows for insanely high mobility, even when scoped-in (unlike the AWP). And like many of CS:GO s guns, the AWP is sensitive to movement, requiring near-perfect stillness to execute an accurate shot (see the Advanced Techniques section for more on this). AWPers are thus faced with the dilemma of holding static angles that easily fall prey to flashbangs and pincer-pushes onto bombsites.
But the AWP has more advantages still. It boasts the best penetration in-game, both in terms of wall penetration power with a value of 250 (this value ranges from 0-300, with a higher value indicating that a bullet can penetrate harder surfaces at longer distances) but also in terms of armor penetration (97.5 out of 100 in the in-game menu, the highest in the game, which in effect nullifies the damage-softening effect of armor). The right combination of guesswork and timing can lead to impossible shots that defy logic.
If you want to buy an AWP in a competitive game, the best time to do it is on the first gun round of the game (typically the fourth round) and when you re carrying at least $5,750. Even if your team has lost the first three rounds, secured zero objectives, and you personally didn t notch a kill over that time, you ll have earned $6,700 total by round four, including your initial $1,000 of starter cash.
The most effective AWPer will spend even more to purchase a set of grenades, about $6,450. Here s your shopping list for a solid buy:
Buy an AWP without armor, and you re making a glass cannon buy. It s an enormous risk—you re turning yourself into a slow-moving cannon with no protection, not only to damage, but to the accuracy-disrupting effects of aim punch. Avoid AWPing without full armor except in the most desperate straits, like when your opponent is on the verge of winning the match.
If your teammate in competitive mode has bought an AWP, reconsider buying another one. There are situations where the map will dictate otherwise (double AWPing as CT on de_dust2 is viable due to its long sight lines on A, B, and mid), but the economic risk is rarely worth the potential gain. In casual mode on the other hand, buying an AWP is merely a matter of buying cheaply for a round or two to save up for Big Green.
Broadly, there are two situations in which you ll use an AWP: covering an angle while stationary (passive AWPing), or while roaming (aggressive AWPing). In the professional CS:GO scene, players like Titan s SmithZz and the Danish player nico (who was recently replaced on Dignitas) fit into the passive style, while EnVyUs kennyS or Fnatic s JW tend to play aggressively.
Passive AWPing best works at corners where you have the option of retreating behind solid cover, where you can protect yourself until the AWP is ready to fire again (e.g. the box at the back corner of B site on de_dust2). Passive players only have to worry about one angle, avoiding getting flashed or smoked out of their roost, and hitting the shot.
Passive AWPers are also the ones who have to worry the most about the maximum zoom setting when scoped-in. The AWP features two zoom settings which right clicking cycles through: one further out and a magnified one.
As a rule of thumb to the young AWP initiate, use the single-zoom setting in all of your duels. A passive AWPer holding a long position such as from bombsite A towards pit on de_dust2 should consider using the maximum zoom setting to increase chances of hitting a distant, protected target. AWPers planning on holding close angles or playing with mobility should avoid the maximum zoom setting in almost all circumstances, as it inhibits reaction to unexpected threats.
Aggressive AWPers have a much more complex portfolio to work with in terms of using the gun. For them, techniques such as walking while scoped in and searching for enemies have no place, as the maximum field of vision and information is required in order to hit lightning-fast shots. These players rely on advanced techniques of AWPing.
Learn specific AWPing techniques on the next page.
As an aggressive AWPer, you re defying some of the native characteristics of the AWP to gain map control. The aggressive AWPer needs to know when to push angles that would seem suicidal in normal scenarios and often wield their slow, clunky weapon more like a shotgun than a sniper rifle. The aggressive AWPer uses a two-handed sword as if it were a one-hander, relying on speed, intuition, and tricks to gain the advantage.
Passive AWPing can only take you so far. Think of it this way: holding an angle won t work if you meet an opponent who s quicker on the draw. Aggressive AWPers incorporate movement and manipulative model tricks (peeking at certain angles crouched or with a varying speed) to defeat their opponents.
Crouch-peeking and shoulder-peeking relies on the inherent advantage that comes with peeking in CS:GO (check this GIF below for a visual representation) by turning corners quickly, scoping in, and firing with a little bit of guesswork. Although some of this technique relies on popping out at an unexpected place or time, it s also underpinned by two mechanics of the game itself. AWPers use corner advantage, the Source engine s preference for the camera to be slightly left-of-center, allowing them to see an opponent just a moment before they see you.
To shoulder-peek, you should quickly strafe a corner or known angle with a shot in mind, scope-in and automatically fire, and strafe back in the opposite direction right away; all of this should be one fluid motion with no delay except to stop and quickly shoot. This technique tries to limit the chances of being prefired or tagged, and keeps you mobile as an AWPer.
Crouch-peeking adds one more element to this act of angle manipulation, by bringing the player into a crouched-state as they round a corner. This is meant to throw off a defensive player whose crosshair, if they re experienced, is most likely aimed at head height. To crouch-peek, hold the crouch key as you round a corner, falling into your aim in one motion. In the brief moment that you re stationary, you should be crouched, scoped-in, and aiming at an angle that you are looking to clear. Chances are the opponent is trying to correct his aim and you ve got a clear shot!
Aggressive AWPers have to master this quick input of keys: crouch, strafe, scope-in, and fire, without doing any of these commands too quickly or else the recoil is thrown off. The crouch key needs to be pressed exactly as the player rounds the corner, and not before or after.
Quickscoping is a technique where right-clicking is immediately followed by a left click, granting a more accurate shot than you would have by noscoping. To try a quickscope, stop moving, then right and then left click in rapid succession. Practice this technique in casual play so you ll have more opportunities to buy the AWP and less pressure to contribute to a victory.
Noscoping, or the art of using the AWP like it s the world s largest pistol, is still functional and sees occasional use by pro players in the highest echelon of CS:GO. Noscoping is often the best and only choice when someone is rushing you head-on. If you find yourself in this situation, dip your aim to around center of mass on an enemy, stop moving as much as possible before you shoot, trust your muscle memory, and wait until the last possible moment to fire to maximize the angle and distance between you and your target s hitboxes.
Wallbanging is Counter-Strike s tasteful way of referring to shooting through hard map surfaces. There are certain angles that only an AWP (or an autosniper as well) can penetrate and several of these happen to be in very useful positions. As seen in these clips on de_cache, preset angles can be used to try and tag players on the other side of the map. The best way to try this yourself is to load a map on an offline server (simply type map de_dust2 in console, for example), then enter sv_showimpacts 1 in the console to track bullet penetration and search for new spots.
Lastly, and very infrequently, the AWP is able to hit accurate shots at the apex of a jump, similar to the notorious Scout jumpshot but far less dependable and requiring near perfect timing. Rarely seen, this technique is best left to hyper-aggressive players willing to take the risk.
PC Gamer Pro is a new channel dedicated to esports and competitive gaming. Check back every day for exciting, fun and informative articles about League of Legends, Dota 2, Hearthstone, CS:GO and more. GL HF!
Tennis players know the peculiar feeling of zenlike calm and control that comes with starting a serve. Suddenly, all worries about footwork, planning drop shots, and recovering from an opponent s serve dissipate: the pace of the game rests in the palm of your hand.
Wielding Counter-Strike s deadliest gun is a little like that. Like a great tennis player, talented AWPers have a mixture of patience and confidence. They tap into a slow mindset and lightning reflexes simultaneously.
The AWP is an intimidator, both when it s pointed at you and when you re learning the weapon. Carrying an AWP isn t simply an equipment decision, but a discipline in and of itself with its own set of techniques, guidelines, and pitfalls.
The AWP is heavy, powerful, and expensive. Its reputation arises from the fact that, in a game about eliminating other players from the round, it s the only weapon that can kill someone with one body shot. However, it isn t a one-hit kill in all circumstances, as leg and lower groin shots deal 85 damage (aka legging ), as do shots that clip through surfaces such as railings or corners.
With the AWP s great power comes equal responsibility. Whether in a 5-on-5 competitive game or in casual mode, you ll put down $4,750 to buy an AWP. If that investment doesn t pay off (or worse, if an opponent kills you and steals it), it can break your team s economy for rounds to come. Other than the autosniper (aka the G3SG1/SCAR-20), the same can t be said for other investments in CS:GO.
Certain aspects of the AWP make it unwieldy to the newcomer, including its effect on mobility. A player running with the knife moves at 250 units per second; with a USP-S, 240 units per second; with the AK-47, 215; with the AWP, a mere 200 units per second—20 percent slower than with a knife. Only the light machine guns, the Negev and the M249 (195 units), are slower.
The AWP s firerate is equally slow, placing huge importance on hitting your first shot. The Scout, the AWP s cheaper sibling, features a similarly slow firerate but allows for insanely high mobility, even when scoped-in (unlike the AWP). And like many of CS:GO s guns, the AWP is sensitive to movement, requiring near-perfect stillness to execute an accurate shot (see the Advanced Techniques section for more on this). AWPers are thus faced with the dilemma of holding static angles that easily fall prey to flashbangs and pincer-pushes onto bombsites.
But the AWP has more advantages still. It boasts the best penetration in-game, both in terms of wall penetration power with a value of 250 (this value ranges from 0-300, with a higher value indicating that a bullet can penetrate harder surfaces at longer distances) but also in terms of armor penetration (97.5 out of 100 in the in-game menu, the second-highest in the game, which in effect nullifies the damage-softening effect of armor). The right combination of guesswork and timing can lead to impossible shots that defy logic.
If you want to buy an AWP in a competitive game, the best time to do it is on the first gun round of the game (typically the fourth round) and when you re carrying at least $5,750. Even if your team has lost the first three rounds, secured zero objectives, and you personally didn t notch a kill over that time, you ll have earned $6,500 total by round four, including your initial $800 of starter cash.
The most effective AWPer will spend even more to purchase a set of grenades, about $6,450. Here s your shopping list for a solid buy:
Buy an AWP without armor, and you re making a glass cannon buy. It s an enormous risk—you re turning yourself into a slow-moving cannon with no protection, not only to damage, but to the accuracy-disrupting effects of aim punch. Avoid AWPing without full armor except in the most desperate straits, like when your opponent is on the verge of winning the match.
If your teammate in competitive mode has bought an AWP, reconsider buying another one. There are situations where the map will dictate otherwise (double AWPing as CT on de_dust2 is viable due to its long sight lines on A, B, and mid), but the economic risk is rarely worth the potential gain. In casual mode on the other hand, buying an AWP is merely a matter of buying cheaply for a round or two to save up for Big Green.
Broadly, there are two situations in which you ll use an AWP: covering an angle while stationary (passive AWPing), or while roaming (aggressive AWPing). In the professional CS:GO scene, players like Titan s SmithZz and the Danish player nico (who was recently replaced on Dignitas) fit into the passive style, while EnVyUs kennyS or Fnatic s JW tend to play aggressively.
Passive AWPing best works at corners where you have the option of retreating behind solid cover, where you can protect yourself until the AWP is ready to fire again (e.g. the box at the back corner of B site on de_dust2). Passive players only have to worry about one angle, avoiding getting flashed or smoked out of their roost, and hitting the shot.
Passive AWPers are also the ones who have to worry the most about the maximum zoom setting when scoped-in. The AWP features two zoom settings which right clicking cycles through: one further out and a magnified one.
As a rule of thumb to the young AWP initiate, use the single-zoom setting in all of your duels. A passive AWPer holding a long position such as from bombsite A towards pit on de_dust2 should consider using the maximum zoom setting to increase chances of hitting a distant, protected target. AWPers planning on holding close angles or playing with mobility should avoid the maximum zoom setting in almost all circumstances, as it inhibits reaction to unexpected threats.
Aggressive AWPers have a much more complex portfolio to work with in terms of using the gun. For them, techniques such as walking while scoped in and searching for enemies have no place, as the maximum field of vision and information is required in order to hit lightning-fast shots. These players rely on advanced techniques of AWPing.
Learn specific AWPing techniques on the next page.
As an aggressive AWPer, you re defying some of the native characteristics of the AWP to gain map control. The aggressive AWPer needs to know when to push angles that would seem suicidal in normal scenarios and often wield their slow, clunky weapon more like a shotgun than a sniper rifle. The aggressive AWPer uses a two-handed sword as if it were a one-hander, relying on speed, intuition, and tricks to gain the advantage.
Passive AWPing can only take you so far. Think of it this way: holding an angle won t work if you meet an opponent who s quicker on the draw. Aggressive AWPers incorporate movement and manipulative model tricks (peeking at certain angles crouched or with a varying speed) to defeat their opponents.
Crouch-peeking and shoulder-peeking relies on the inherent advantage that comes with peeking in CS:GO (check this GIF below for a visual representation) by turning corners quickly, scoping in, and firing with a little bit of guesswork. Although some of this technique relies on popping out at an unexpected place or time, it s also underpinned by two mechanics of the game itself. AWPers use corner advantage, the Source engine s preference for the camera to be slightly left-of-center, allowing them to see an opponent just a moment before they see you.
To shoulder-peek, you should quickly strafe a corner or known angle with a shot in mind, scope-in and automatically fire, and strafe back in the opposite direction right away; all of this should be one fluid motion with no delay except to stop and quickly shoot. This technique tries to limit the chances of being prefired or tagged, and keeps you mobile as an AWPer.
Crouch-peeking adds one more element to this act of angle manipulation, by bringing the player into a crouched-state as they round a corner. This is meant to throw off a defensive player whose crosshair, if they re experienced, is most likely aimed at head height. To crouch-peek, hold the crouch key as you round a corner, falling into your aim in one motion. In the brief moment that you re stationary, you should be crouched, scoped-in, and aiming at an angle that you are looking to clear. Chances are the opponent is trying to correct his aim and you ve got a clear shot!
Aggressive AWPers have to master this quick input of keys: crouch, strafe, scope-in, and fire, without doing any of these commands too quickly or else the recoil is thrown off. The crouch key needs to be pressed exactly as the player rounds the corner, and not before or after.
Quickscoping is a technique where right-clicking is immediately followed by a left click, granting a more accurate shot than you would have by noscoping. To try a quickscope, stop moving, then right and then left click in rapid succession. Practice this technique in casual play so you ll have more opportunities to buy the AWP and less pressure to contribute to a victory.
Noscoping, or the art of using the AWP like it s the world s largest pistol, is still functional and sees occasional use by pro players in the highest echelon of CS:GO. Noscoping is often the best and only choice when someone is rushing you head-on. If you find yourself in this situation, dip your aim to around center of mass on an enemy, stop moving as much as possible before you shoot, trust your muscle memory, and wait until the last possible moment to fire to maximize the angle and distance between you and your target s hitboxes.
Wallbanging is Counter-Strike s tasteful way of referring to shooting through hard map surfaces. There are certain angles that only an AWP (or an autosniper as well) can penetrate and several of these happen to be in very useful positions. As seen in these clips on de_cache, preset angles can be used to try and tag players on the other side of the map. The best way to try this yourself is to load a map on an offline server (simply type map de_dust2 in console, for example), then enter sv_showimpacts 1 in the console to track bullet penetration and search for new spots.
Lastly, and very infrequently, the AWP is able to hit accurate shots at the apex of a jump, similar to the notorious Scout jumpshot but far less dependable and requiring near perfect timing. Rarely seen, this technique is best left to hyper-aggressive players willing to take the risk.
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Have You Played? is an endless stream of game recommendations. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.>
Not Global Offensive. Not Source. I’m talking the original Counter-Strike. The Half-Life mod; the game that was more popular than its online competitors combined; the game that in many ways pioneered both games as services and games as playable alphas; the game that spawned two follow-ups but which even right now, as I’m writing this, has 20,211 concurrent players through Steam.
The ESL One Cologne Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament that wrapped up this weekend with an exciting win for Fnatic was the first event in which competitors were subject to randomized drug testing. And you'll never guess who was caught trying to cheat! Really, you won't, because I'm about to tell you: The answer is nobody.
A bundle of interesting figures came out of the Cologne event courtesy of ESL, including that it was the most-watched CS:GO event of all time. More than 27 million unique viewers spent a combined total of nearly 34 million hours watching the action on Twitch, including a a peak concurrent user count of over 1.3 million. That represents an increase of more than 30 percent over the ESL One Katowice CS:GO tournament in March.
"ESL One Cologne followed in the footsteps of ESL One Frankfurt in that it transformed a mere esports event into an esports festival," ESL said in a statement. "Visitors on-site were able to take part in many festival-like experiences including bullriding, testing their reflexes on a T-Wall, and getting an airbrush tattoo, brought to them by ESL s sponsors/partners."
That's all very positive news, but what I find more interesting is that the newly-implemented drug testing came up with nothing. "Following up on the earlier announcement of ESL s partnership with WADA and NADA to create and implement the anti-doping policy, NADA has prepared a prevention program which was presented to players and visitors during the event," it continued. "ESL conducted randomized anti-doping testing among players in the competition, which returned negative results for all tested players."
An ESL rep declined to say how many players were tested, citing the need to maintain confidentiality of its process. ESL said it will continue to implement the new drug testing policy at all future ESL One events.
We write about FPSes each week in Triggernometry, a mixture of tips, esports, and a celebration of virtual marksmanship.
Things were not going well for the best CS:GO team in the world.
Yesterday on one of the biggest stages in esports, the grand finals of the ESL One Cologne major, Swedish superstars Fnatic were stumbling. $100,000 was on the line, and their opponent, Team EnVyUs (formerly Team LDLC), was crushing them on Dust2, the first map of a best-of-three. At this point in the match (and in the video above) EnVyUS led 14-7—they simply needed to win two more rounds to take the first map. Now, in the 22nd round, Fnatic had fragile control of bombsite B in a three-on-four situation.
KRIMZ's work over the next minute may have saved Fnatic. He makes a strong entry frag through tunnel to secure the site, then takes a position behind car on bombsite B. He eats a pop flash thrown by the CTs, who are in the site before he recovers from the flash. Popping back up, KRIMZ chews through two of the attackers, going deep into his spray, adjusting beautifully from right to left. Now in a one-on-one, with nine bullets in his mag and his gun recoil jumping like an angry bull, he sees Happy emerge from window. Initially at a disadvantage, KRIMZ absorbs a hit before crouch-dodging behind cover to his right, squaring his crosshairs as he shifts to score a headshot onto the EnVyUs leader.
Three kills in three seconds, and zero bullets in his magazine by the end of it.
Fnatic would win eight of the next nine games to force overtime, win the OT (including one round with a hilarious quad AWP setup), and then win the second map, Cobblestone, comfortably at 16-7 to take the championship. Moments like this one demonstrate how much momentum plays a role in Counter-Strike.