Two years ago, Operation Shattered Web launched in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The ninth operation changed the game forever. Enjoy this exciting read where the CS.MONEY Blog will tell you what was so game-changing about Operation Shattered Web.
Agents
Agents — that’s what character models are called — were by far the most important and most controversial innovation the operation brought. From then on, every player could get or buy an agent and use it on any map.
Agents weren’t exactly a novelty: already the first versions of Counter-Strike offered the opportunity to choose a model to play with. At the time, the community’s absolute favorites were Elite Crew and SAS. Because these two were considered the smallest, they were thought to provide an advantage. At least, that was the thought process behind the players’ inclination to use them rather than other agents two decades ago.
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, however, agents aren’t entirely unproblematic. Namely, many models ended up getting lost on maps with a lot of elements and greenery. The issue was exacerbated by the fact that every agent was available for every map.
Valve had several ways to fix this: to disable the display of agents for the opposing team, introduce different agent versions for each map, or try and solve the problem on a global scale. In the end, the company took a range of measures: the most problematic areas on the tournament maps were highlighted, some agents received an updated color scheme, and an option to increase the contrast was added in the settings.
Did it help? No rather than yes. On the esports scene, most teams voluntarily refused to use agents. In matchmaking, agents do occur but are now much less likely to confuse with their appearance thanks to a series of tweaks. In any event, agents have had a significant impact on the community’s perception of the game.
Battle pass
Shattered Web was the first operation in two years. For some players, it was the first one they witnessed, but the rest got more than just a new operation. It revisited the concept of operation and had little in common with the previous Operation Hydra.
The battle pass system notably replaced the operation log. Instead of missions on specific maps, players began to farm stars. At the time, these simply marked the progress of battle pass tasks. Later, stars turned into a separate in-game currency, which everyone can use to buy skins, stickers, or agents.
Despite the cozy feel of the pseudo-paper logs from previous operations, the battle pass was a definite step forward. It made the whole operation business more convenient and exciting. In the most recent operation, Riptide, the battle pass allowed players to buy specific rewards and was a lot more player-friendly.
Limited collections
Last but not least, Operation Shattered Web invented exclusive skin collections which are only available during the event. As part of the tenth Operation, an impressive three such collections dropped: The Norse, The St. Marc, and The Canals.
Each collection spawned a couple of extra-expensive skins. The AWP Gungnir, for example, equaled the legendary AWP Dragon Lore in terms of both price and rarity. This move allowed Valve to create rare weapon finishes with each operation. The price notwithstanding, the novelty skins are nothing short of amazing.
Will the end of the Dreams and Nightmares skin contest initiate a change in this trend? This is the first time the company has held an event like that. Besides, a case of themed skins is rather similar to the concept of limited-edition collections. Perhaps the next operation will already feature skins from the Workshop? Only time will tell.
Speaking of Workshop skins. Check out our recent selection of October’s Workshop skins highlights. And if you also happen to be a GTA fan, add a few weapon finishes from the set to your inventory to celebrate the Trilogy Remaster release!
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