We can’t pick one signle word to definitively describe the past year, 2023. It had so much: the long-awaited release of Counter-Strike 2; ZywOo’s total dominance; new orgs and teams arriving, old ones leaving; skins copyright drama and cheaters; and much more. CS.MONEY Blog chronicled the brightest and most interesting events, things, and changes in the world of Counter-Strike throughout the year. In this digest, we’ve gathered the best articles from our Blog in 2023.
For convenience, we’ve divided all the content into three categories: the CS:GO era, the CS2 era, and skins because they transitioned from one game to another and embody an essential part of the gaming experience. And if you want to buy or sell them conveniently, use CS.MONEY!
Goodbye, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive!
Obviously, the main event in the Counter-Strike world for 2023 was the release of CS2. Valve finally made a move to a new engine, Source 2, and CS:GO had to go. This also hugely affected tournaments and esports, so, CS.MONEY Blog created a series of materials, marking the end of the decade-long era of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The most decorated player in CS:GO is Dupreeh. The Dane became the only player to win five Majors. We showcased his career in numbers:
However, the ultimate showdown was undoubtedly the duel between s1mple and ZywOo. This pair dominated for the past five years, so we placed them side by side, although the Ukrainian player proved stronger in CS:GO. But who knows what will happen in CS2?
Well, but Counter-Strike is a team game anyways, and credit must be given to teams whose dominance became significant milestones in the game’s history. You can read about our choice of the top five teams in CS:GO history here:
Speaking of triumphs, one cannot forget those who fell short of winning a Major. We selected the top 10 greatest CS:GO players who couldn’t raise the trophy:
Let’s conclude with a transitional piece about the best player of 2023, as they shone brightly in both CS:GO and CS2. You can read about why this player is a clear number one. Can you guess by the silhouette?
Hello, Counter-Strike 2!
The release of Counter-Strike 2 was a celebration for the Community but it also brought a lot of headaches: first, it came out really buggy and up to this moment, with the ongoing Qualifiers for the first CS2 Major, Valve still has a lot of work to do. But also, this is a brand new game: it feels not like CS:GO, it works not like CS:GO, and players had to adapt to it. For this reason, CS.MONEY Blog created various guides.
For example, one of the significant changes was the reduction in match duration (MR15 to MR12). The format change influenced the CS2 economy, requiring a fresh adaptation. We outlined all the important nuances:
Changes in the economy and engine also led to a shift in weapon meta. Which SMGs and rifles are most effective in CS2? You’ll find out from this post:
It’s important not only to understand the economy and meta but also to optimize your gameplay. We analyzed the settings of professional players since they are geared for maximum results:
But CS.MONEY Blog wasn’t solely about guides. We reviewed the first huge tournament of CS2:
And the Blog also engaged in various interviews with skin creators and famous successful traders. However, we have a separate list with highlights specifically for interviews:
Skins Are Forever!
Counter-Strike may change, esports legends come and go, but the pleasure of playing with neat skins is eternal! For CS.MONEY, 2023 was also significant: we revamped our marketplace, making it much more user-friendly. Now, you can trade even from your phone, as everything is available in the app!
Throughout the year, CS.MONEY was involved in various cool activities around skins. For instance, Hyper Beast became a painting made in real life:
And the ECOsplay Contest brought a huge amount of positive emotions! Funny, creepy, ingenious and outstanding. The participants were great, and the winner rightfully received an AWP Dragon Lore!
However, the Blog wasn’t only about entertaining formats. We also released a series of educational materials, explaining various nuances of skins. For example, in this article, we covered everything about their rarity:
We also released a series of extensive Trading Guides. You can learn about Trading here, or read the following article:
Surely, there’s a way you can earn with skins in Counter-Strike 2. The Blog made a guide, explaining how to do it:
And hey, we’ve made a whole ton of various skin compilations and reviews! For every taste, color, and wallet. Visit our CS2 Skins section and see that for yourself!
2024 is set to be a big year for Counter-Strike 2. We eagerly await new tournaments, new maps, and of course, new skins. We’ll cover all the most important and interesting things in our Blog, without a doubt!
