8 Tips for New CS2 Players Coming from CSGO

If it’s been a while since you’ve played CS:GO and have decided to try out CS2, you might be surprised or even overwhelmed by some of the changes implemented with the release of the newest Counter-Strike entry. Here are eight tips for new players in CS2 who have some experience in CSGO. This list highlights the most significant changes in CS2 compared to CSGO.

8 Pieces of Advice for New CS2 Players Coming from CSGO

Below, I will discuss the most impactful changes with the CS2 release. There are quite some differences regarding how the game plays out, including the competitive matchmaking rules, smoke mechanics, implementation of the loadout system, refund option introduction, and more.

1. Official Matchmaking Servers are now on Subtick instead of 64-tick

Of course, the “subtick” tick rate change is the biggest one, but it’s still being fine-tuned by Valve. Allegedly, you should generate your own “ticks” when you provide inputs by moving your character and shooting from your weapons, which should, in theory, improve shot registration and make everything more precise and accurate. So far, it’s been under the mark, but gradual improvements can be seen.

2. Competitive Matchmaking Works Under New, Premier Rules

Remember old CSGO ranks ranging between Silver 1 and Global Elite? That’s still there. However, you will have a separate matchmaking rank for every map you play using the old way of competitive matchmaking. You will need ten wins on a map to see your rank on that specific map. That’s, of course, too much of a hassle for many players.

This is why we have a Premier mode, which quantifies your rank numerically like it’s chess elo and is the “thing to win at” now.

Currently, the Premier map rotation is as follows:

• Ancient
• Anubis
• Inferno
• Mirage
• Vertigo
• Overpass
• Nuke

Turns are taken between teams to:

• Ban two maps
• Ban three maps
• Ban one map
• Choose CT/T side

You will also see a “heat map” on this radar, indicating which maps the teams get their most recent wins on. That might be a useful piece of information when you start banning maps. You can learn more about Premier below. Spoiler alert: Matches are now played until a team wins 13 rounds (MR12), so the matches are shorter now on average.

3. New Smoke Mechanics

We spoke about responsive smoke mechanics before and, in short, you will need some time to adapt to the new smoke mechanics. You can now shoot through the smoke to open thin bullet holes through which you can see briefly, or you can just temporarily blast the smoke away with a grenade and use that moment to get yourself a frag on an unsuspecting enemy. 

4. CS2 Has a Loadout System, and People Have Mixed Feelings About It

How many of you still remember all the key combinations for the shop in Counter-Strike 1.6? Or, how many of you still have the muscle memory for the radial shop menu in CSGO? Bin all that, now you can make your own loadout! Sounds cool? Well, yeah, but you will need to renounce some weapons, and this was a good call for me to write about the best CS2 weapon loadouts.

5. You Can Refund Purchases During Buy Time

If you start buying rapidly at the very start of the round, and your team calls an “eco” round after you’re done with your little shopping spree, you are no longer stuck with the inevitable deficit in your weapon budget for the next round. Here’s how to refund purchases in CS2.

6. There is a New Follow Recoil Option for your Crosshair

In an effort to bring more new players into CS2 and ease up the learning curve a bit regarding spray patterns and recoil control, Valve has added the “Follow Recoil” crosshair option that was cheat-protected back in CSGO. It’s a controversial and opinion-dividing option, and you can read more about it in its designated article linked above.

7. Some Features from CSGO are Missing in CS2

The following features are not available in CS2:

• Danger Zone
• War Games
• Workshop
• Holding weapons in the left-hand
• Clearing decals from the walls
• CS2 is not supported on Mac

8. CS2 has much better graphics than CSGO

I genuinely want to end this article on a positive note. Indeed, the graphics look much prettier, even on the lowest settings, and the skins look remarkable, which will be an exciting piece of information for all skin traders. However, that has made it impossible for some players to play CS2 since the minimum PC requirements have risen compared to CSGO.

Of course, if you want to rank up fast in CS2, the doctrine and methods have not changed. I wish you all the best in CS2.