All CS:GO Ranks in Order: CS:GO Ranking System Explained

Like in many games nowadays, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive also has a competitive mode. But, what determines a player’s rank and what are the available ranks in CS:GO at the moment? Keep on reading to find out.

All Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Ranks in Order: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Ranking System Explained

When starting out, you will be an unranked player. During your unranked period, the matchmaking system will do its best to determine where you belong based on the games you play. Now, here’s where the fun begins. You need to win exactly 10 competitive matches in order for the system to determine your competitive matchmaking rank. It’s also worth mentioning that if you abstain from playing competitively for a longer period of time, your rank will fade away and the system will re-assign you a rank after you win a competitive match again, so it’s not the end of the world.

Every CS:GO Rank in Competitive Matchmaking Sorted

You will notice that there are 18 different Skill Groups (Ranks) divided into four distinguishable groups (Silver, Gold Nova, Master Guardian, and of course, the top of the line where Legendary Eagle (Master), Supreme Master First Class, and The Global Elite reside). The average player is ranked in the Gold Nova region, and for illustration purposes, we’ll provide a rough estimation of how many players are in which zone. Keep in mind that this varies across different matchmaking regions:

• Approximately 30-32% of players are in the Silver Zone
• Approximately 30-35% of players are in the Gold Nova Zone
• Approximately 22-24% of players are in the Master Guardian Zone
• Approximately 5-7% of players are in the Legendary Eagle (Master) and Supreme Master First Class Zone
• Less than 2% of players are in The Global Elite, arguably less than 1%

Where do you stand? And are you happy with your rank?

Related: How to Most Efficiently Rank-up in CS:GO Competitive Matchmaking (2022)

How Does Ranking in CS:GO Competitive Matchmaking Work?

The functionality of the matchmaking system has not been fully revealed to the public and there’s a lot of controversy around it and many complaints within the community, forcing many players onto third-party platforms such as FaceIT and ESEA.

However, it’s understood that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive uses an MMR system (similar to Chess and a lot of other competitive games) that takes into account various variables throughout all matches that you play, which include but are not limited to:

• Your Kill/Death/Assist ratio
• Your MVP star count
• Ranking of players you play with and against
• Whether you won, lost, or had a draw in your match(es)

If you lose multiple matches in a row, you’re certainly going to downrank into the lower-skill group. If you win multiple matches in a row, you will rank up on the victory screen (there are no announcements/warnings before you rank up/down).

We’ve also noticed situations where people change their rank after a draw, albeit it’s pretty rare (happened to me 3 times in my lifetime)

You may also notice a message in the main menu from time to time which will indicate that your ranking has been changed due to cheaters being detected. The way this works is that if you have played with a cheater, the system will simply delete that match from existence and you might downrank as a consequence of this happening. Valve doesn’t care if the cheater was in your friend list, party, or lobby. The match was simply compromised and adjustments need to be made due to some people getting an unfair advantage. If you played against the cheater(s) in question, the loss on your record is removed and this, of course, can result in you getting a higher rank in some cases (or at least, a hidden MMR increase).

How Do I Increase My Ranking in CS:GO Competitive Matchmaking?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a team game. You can theoretically have 100 kills to your name and still lose a match.
If the team doesn’t function well, you do not have much to hope for. This is why the most optimal strategy is to play with four friends in a full party with voice communication.

The next thing you should do is to specialize in a limited map pool you feel good on and only queue for matches on them.
This way, you can easily practice defense and offense strategies, positioning, smoke throws, flash throws, etc.

Here are some Smoke Guides that we’ve made for the most popular maps in CS:GO Competitive Matchmaking:

• The Best Smoke Spots on Dust 2 CS:GO Map
• The Best Smoke Spots on Inferno CS:GO Map
• The Best Smoke Spots in Mirage CS:GO Map

No one is asking you to destroy the enemy team 16:0 every match. A win with a score of 16:14 is still good enough and will progress your ranking. If you lose a couple of rounds, it might not be that problematic at the start as you’ll have time to gather money and plan a comeback. Be mindful of the money your team has. For this we have an excellent in-depth guide:

Related: CS:GO Economy Guide (2023)

As an individual, you should train your aiming skills on a daily basis, especially before your first competitive match of the day. There are many training maps for this purpose that you can find on Steam Workshop. If you can outgun your entire opposition, chances are you’re going to win the match – assuming you have the right tactics in mind.

Related: Top 10 AWP Spots on Dust 2 in CS:GO

If you lose a match or two, take a break. Getting into another match with heated emotions from the previous match(es) and being tired and frustrated has never been good for anyone, you’ll just tilt more.

Stretch a bit, read some news on Prima Games, drink some water, get a snack, and when you (and your lobby friends) are ready, you can move into the next match with a more positive mindset.