“I find myself dreaming of the CS:GO days”: Esports pros weigh in on the state of Counter-Strike 2 scene

Both the Counter-Strike games and their esports scene have undergone changes over time, and it has caused many polarising opinions leading up to its current state and how it should change going forward.

Esports Insider was flown out by ZOWIE to attend its esports science lab grand opening in the Netherlands. During the event, Counter-Strike 2 enthusiasts and ZOWIE employees were asked about esports and gaming peripherals. These discussions also opened up the topic of the current state of Counter-Strike 2 and its broader competitive scene, which pro players and esports participants had some thoughts about.

Throughout the years, all kinds of esports professionals have come and gone from the Counter-Strike scene. During an earlier interview with Esports Insider, Richard ‘shox’ Papillon highlighted that the esports scene has experienced many ‘eras,” where various organisations and playstyles became dominant.

Esports Insider set out to find out what some participants of the esports scene considered to be the peak of Counter-Strike.

Speaking with ESI, Malek ‘maleK’ Bennouioua, a Counter-Strike 2 player competing at amateur levels, said: “I think there were a few times where the game peaked. Historically, when you talk about Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, for me, it was maybe 2015 when the French scene was at its peak, like with Team EnVyUs (ENVY) winning the Major. There are a lot of highlight moments to choose from.”

The first installment of Counter-Strike was released by Valve in November 2000. Since then, various titles and updates have been released for the first-person tactical shooter, from Global Offensive to the current Counter-Strike 2. Many enthusiasts shared with Esports Insider that they have a favourite.

Niklas ‘CoachDP; Poulsen, a Counter-Strike Twitch streamer, said: “Late CS:GO was amazing, because things like bullet spray and hit registration showed that it was built to be the best shooter game ever. When it comes to the satisfying feeling of getting a headshot, I think no other game can compare.

“And I consider that to be ‘peaking’ in CS:GO, but I do believe that the CS2 release with the newer graphics, alongside the potential and ambition to make it better, I think that’s good, and I want that for the game. But sometimes, I find myself dreaming back to the CS:GO days.”

The esports industry has grown in tandem with the many technical innovations that improved the gaming experience over the years, from the introduction of the wireless mouse, to hall-effect keyboards with unique pressure points to high-refresh-rate monitors.

ZOWIE unveiled its Esports Science Lab in Eindhoven, Netherlands, which is designed to monitor player movements to help shape future peripherals. During the press conference, Celsa Wu, Head of ZOWIE overseeing business and marketing in Europe, shared that the company had expanded from Asia to Europe to ‘reach more professional players’ so that they can help them ‘strive for perfection.’

Dr Wade KW Lin, Head of the ZOWIE esports science lab, added: “At the ZOWIE brand, we are focused on making sure we help players win the game. Now that we have the lab here, we can bring in a lot of pro players and ensure we create new mice that meet their needs.”

More than ever, professional players and enthusiasts are looking for every advantage they can get to succeed. For many active athletes, they strive to attain the optimal set-up for their performance, and brands that develop peripherals are going the extra mile to meet their needs. Amongst enthusiasts, it’s also shown them how they can improve their gameplay.

CoachDP said: “Honestly, I’m pretty surprised how much knowledge they have on things like fatigue, mouse shape, and everything like that. And it made me wonder like, ‘how much could I gain from changing to the right mouse?’

“It makes me want to get involved and sit in that chair, because even the smallest changes can mean a lot when playing.”

For a lot of active participants in the scene, Counter-Strike esports have come a long way since 2001, when World Cyber Games first included Counter-Strike as an event. From the ESL Pro League to the recent BLAST.tv Austin Major, the stakes have never been higher — but some still think there is room for improvement.

When it comes to eras, many believe that this year has been defined by Team Vitality, which earned the ESL Grand Slam prize of $1m (~£780,000) in 2025 after winning four top-tier ESL events. While many have praised their accomplishment, others say that the scene has become too ‘predictable’ lately.

Speaking with Esports Insider, Niels Christian ‘NaToSaphix’ Silassen, pro Counter-Strike 2 coach and content creator, said: “[The Austin Major] is the Major I’ve watched the least of all time. The early matches caught my attention, but the playoffs were kind of predictable because people knew that Team Vitality was likely to win.

“A lot of fan favourites went out early, like I think some people were hoping that teams like FaZe Clan and Team Falcons would make the playoffs. So I think, the state of Counter-Strike in the pro scene is a little boring at the moment because there’s only one team winning.”

Some players also believe there is an in-balance in both esports activity and skill level across the regions. When you look at the current Valve Global Standings, the top 10 are mainly comprised of European and Asian teams

“For sure the esports scene has improved, because you have more viewership, you have more players every day, it’s just more of everything,” maleK told said. “But we can do better I think, because you still have some dead scenes.”

“Let’s talk about the North American scene. I think it’s completely off right now, and feels like NA is missing from the global scene. On the other hand, Asia has been growing insanely quickly, like take The MongolZ for example, even though they lost in the finals. So I’d say we need to improve by region, I think.”

Throughout discussions during the event, players highlighted many successes and drawbacks with the current Counter-Strike scene. CoachDP told Esports Insider that he wished the esports scene ‘focused more on the players’ through ‘deep-dives’. Others, like NaToSaphix, said the game needed to address powerful mechanics like ‘peakers advantage’ for fairer competition.

Esports Insider then spoke with the legendary Christopher ‘GeT_RiGhT’ Alesund, retired Counter-Strike professional player. He said that even though the game has come a long way since he first started in his 14-year-long career, the game and its competitive scene needs a ‘big change.’

He said: “I think the game needs a big shake-up. There are a lot of issues right now with things like the VRS system, and how it’s built up for people to go to tournaments and how you get invited, and like how you qualify for a Major. It started to feel a little more closed off than it was before, to some degree. It should be more open, but it kind of semi-failed in my opinion.

“But I hope there’s a big change coming to CS because it is the best game of all time, no question about it, and even people from other scenes come to enjoy it. Seeing all the big tournaments and all the big games. It’s a wonderful feeling for me personally, who’s been here from day one. I started playing since the beta. So it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of it.”