How To Play Competitive Counter‐Strike Global Offensive

In CS:GO, Competitive Mode refers to the game’s ranked gameplay. Unlike casual game modes, players are given a team-based mode for a more serious environment.

Players are placed into a matchmaking system, where they will be matched with other players of similar ranks based on their competitive ranking. This system ensures that you will play against players that match your skills, creating a fair and balanced game and will need an internet connection.

Unlike Casual Mode, Competitive Mode strictly follows a 5 versus 5 team setup, and matches follow the same rules and format as professional play. These matches are played in an MR15 format, meaning each half has a maximum of 15 rounds. The team that reaches 16 rounds first will win the match.

The best part about CS:GO’s Competitive Mode is the ranking system. Players are assigned to various skill groups that reflect their current skills. Players will gain or lose elo after every match, and the amount depends on individual performance. If enough elo points are gained, the player will rank up to a higher skill group, but players can also derank.

The community only wants serious players to queue for Competitive Mode, as everyone is playing to win. Valve encourages this, and has set several requirements players must meet before they can queue for Competitive Matches. 

This is to ensure anyone who plays Competitive will at least have a good grasp of how the game works. Additionally, Valve is also trying to slowly weed off hackers or smurfs from ruining matches.

To play Competitive, you must reach Private Rank Level 2 and have your account protected by the Prime Status.

Reaching Profile Level 2

The first step to playing Competitive matches in CS:GO is to level up your Counter-Strike profile to Level 2. Reaching this level can be done by playing the game’s unranked game modes, such as Deathmatch, Casual, or Arms Race.

Playing these game modes, especially Casual, can give new players a decent understanding of how the game works and what they should do to win rounds. Additionally, players will start getting familiar with the different weapons available in the game.

Reaching Level 2 shouldn’t take you more than two days. For every match you complete, your profile will earn experience points. After reaching a certain amount of experience, your account will automatically level up by itself.

It is important to not leave these matches before it has ended, as you will not be awarded with experience points if you don’t see the matches to the end. You should also try your best, as you will earn points depending on your performance.

Have A Prime-Protected Account

The second step is the more complicated one. To play in Counter-Strike’s Competitive Mode, players must have a Prime Status, which is essentially a verification tool of a player’s account. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, there are three ways to have a Prime-protected account.

• Purchasing CS:GO when it was a paid game: Players who initially bought CS:GO for $14.99 will automatically have a Prime Status under their account. This is the main method Valve has used to “refund” players since the game is now free-to-play.
• Buying the Prime Status upgrade: Most players choose to spend money and directly buy the Prime Status upgrade directly from the game. The upgrade package will cost you $14.99, which is what CS:GO was selling for in the past.
• Reach Level 21: If you are strictly a free-to-play (F2P) player, then there is one more way to get a Prime Status. You need to grind unranked matches until you’ve hit profile Level 21. This could take weeks up to months to complete!

If your profile level is at least 2 and your account is protected by the Prime Status, then you’re ready to hop into your first Competitive Mode match.

Here is a step-by-step process of how you can queue for a Competitive game.

• Boot up CS:GO and click on the “Play” button at the top of the main menu.
• Next, click on “Matchmaking” since we’re going to play against other humans.
• Select the “Competitive” game mode.
• Then, select and deselect maps from the list to decide which maps you only want to play on.
• Once you’re ready to go, click on the “Go” button to look for a match.

In CS:GO’s Competitive Mode, you can select which maps you want and don’t want to play on. If you are only just starting out your Counter-Strike journey, limit your map pool to two or three maps. You should look to start on the most popular maps such as Dust II or Mirage.

It is important to remember that every new player will start with an uncalibrated rank. You must win ten Competitive matches to reveal your rank. Your performance throughout these calibration matches will help CS:GO figure out which skill group you belong to. If you end up getting one of the lower ranks, don’t be discouraged as you can always climb your way up the ladder.

Additionally, you cannot leave Competitive matches like you can on unranked game modes. If you abandon the match before it ends, you will receive punishments that increase after every offense. The highest penalty is a seven-day ban from playing Competitive matches.

In Competitive Mode, team collision and friendly fire are on. This means you can body-block your teammates or boost each other to reach elevated angles. You can also shoot your teammates and kill them if you deal too much damage.

Make sure not to grief your teammates by intentionally blocking them off or shooting them in the head, as you can be punished and potentially be banned from playing Counter-Strike entirely.