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title="Permanent Link to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro team films documentary">






The team known as "Ninjas in Pyjamas" has a made a documentary showing off its bomb-planting tactics in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at Copenhagen Games 2013. Well, it's not so much a documentary as it is a well-produced video of pro players laying down the heat against other teams, but it's still a pretty good way to spend 18 minutes.



If defusing bombs isn't your thing, Copenhagen Games also offers tournaments for StarCraft II, League of Legends, and other competitive multiplayer games. It's always fun to see how people who train for a certain game play compared to casual players, and then quietly sob in a corner after being awed by their skills.



If you said "They aren't that good," while watching the video, Copenhagen Games will return next year between April 16-20. All you need are some decent teammates, sponsors, and ruthless tenacity.

This week: We've seen the competition from the big three that the kids are calling "next gen." Evan, Tyler, and T.J. discuss what this means for the PC. CS: GO is getting a new mode that lets players evaluate one another. We get all meta and evaluate it. Plus: Diablo 3 one year later, listener questions, playlists, and more.



Xbox, play PC Gamer Podcast 353 - What's in the box?



Have a question, comment, complaint, or observation? Send an MP3 to pcgamerpodcast@gmail.com or call us toll-free at 877-404-1337 x724.



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Follow us on Twitter:

@ELahti (Evan Lahti)

@tyler_wilde (Tyler Wilde)

@AsaTJ (T.J. Hafer)

@belsaas (Erik Belsaas, podcast producer)

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title="Permanent Link to CS:GO community to regulate itself through “Overwatch”">






Valve are beta testing a community-run self-regulation system for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It will allow certain experienced players to review reports of "disruptive behaviour", watch replays, and issue temporary bans where necessary. Naturally, Valve have called this program "Overwatch", which was also the title of the transhuman Combine soldiers of Half-Life 2. Not that there are any parallels. This is just an enforcement squad, working under a larger body that has ultimate power over... Oh...



Valve explain how the Overwatch will function in a post about the now-live beta. "Prospective Overwatch Investigators are presented with an active Overwatch button in the main menu, which indicates that there is a pending case for them to evaluate. The investigators can then choose to participate by watching a replay (eight rounds’ worth or roughly 10 minutes) and selecting a verdict.



"If the investigators collectively agree that an offense has occurred, a ban will be issued. The ban duration will depend on the severity of the offense and the suspect’s history of convictions, if any."



Investigators are selected around a variety of conditions, including account age, game time, and a low report history. And the more an Overwatch member participates, and the higher their resulting accuracy, the more weight their decisions will carry in the future.



For now, though, the scheme is just being trialled. Overwatch cases will be reviewed and analysed before any bans are enforced, giving Valve the chance to ensure they aren't creating a force of power-mad storm troopers.



You can read the full details of the Overwatch program here.

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title="Permanent Link to CS:GO free weekend starts today, runs until Sunday">






It seems a bit unfair that the only multiplayer FPS that's been burdened with a gross sounding nickname is Codblops. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should stop, just that we shouldn't single Black Ops out. Surely there are other icky contractions to find. For instance, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which were currently letting off lightly with the totally normal CS:GO. I say we start calling it GlobOff instead.



Whatever we choose, it's having a free weekend on Steam. You can install it now by clicking these words.



In addition to the trial, the game is also on sale, making it $7.50/£5.99 until Monday. It's a price just low enough that it might tempt the most committed of card traders, now that that's a thing Steam does. On the plus side, the influx of newbies might make me look halfway competent for once. So see you in Globoff. Nope, I've gone off it already.