Counter-Strike is the reason that I made a Steam account 20 years ago so it holds a special place in my Steam library. Back then, my PC was barely capable of running CS let alone Steam. However, it's been a pleasure being a part of this game's journey as it evolves and matures. I reached Global Elite ranking in CS:GO, met many great friends since 2012, and I've enjoyed all the game had to offer. I still enjoy older versions of this game with friends from time to time and I believe there was a better way forward with skins and the community than replacing CS:GO.

CS2 has many improvements but it's not without it's problems. Game mechanics still don't feel as fluid as CS:GO and hit registry feels off after the very recent updates. Cheating has never been worse especially with the overwatch system removed, this has been an issue left unaddressed by Valve since the release of CS2. Alt-tabbing disconnects me from the match sometimes, an issue I do not have with my other games on the same PC. Plenty of missing content - maps, game modes, commands, and achievements. Map based competitive ranking requires too many matches won. The North American region ranking is broken again after it was fixed in the final years of CS:GO, almost nothing has been done to remedy this issue.

It may be worth a try in its current state but don't expect fair play until VAC is fixed which is why I cannot recommend it as a competitive FPS game.

Counter-Strike is the reason that I made a Steam account 20 years ago so it holds a special place in my Steam library. Back then, my PC was barely capable of running CS let alone Steam. However, it's been a pleasure being a part of this game's journey as it evolves and matures. I reached Global Elite ranking in CS:GO, met many great friends since 2012, and I've enjoyed all the game had to offer. I still enjoy older versions of this game with friends from time to time and I believe there was a better way forward with skins and the community than replacing CS:GO. CS2 has many improvements but it's not without it's problems. Game mechanics still don't feel as fluid as CS:GO and hit registry feels off after the very recent updates. Cheating has never been worse especially with the overwatch system removed, this has been an issue left unaddressed by Valve since the release of CS2. Alt-tabbing disconnects me from the match sometimes, an issue I do not have with my other games on the same PC. Plenty of missing content - maps, game modes, commands, and achievements. Map based competitive ranking requires too many matches won. The North American region ranking is broken again after it was fixed in the final years of CS:GO, almost nothing has been done to remedy this issue. It may be worth a try in its current state but don't expect fair play until VAC is fixed which is why I cannot recommend it as a competitive FPS game.