CS2 Esports News

After two weeks of intense Counter-Strike action, six teams earn the right to step into the LANXESS arena. These final contenders will now compete for the ultimate glory—the IEM Cologne title. Let the action in the Cathedral of Counter-Strike begin… Teams & Format Only 6 out of the 24 competing teams have survived the IEM Cologne competition. These are: Group A Team Vitality The MongolZ FURIA Group B Team Spirit MOUZ Natus Vincere The group winners are directly seeded into the Semifinals. The remaining  four teams play each other in the Quarterfinals to stay alive. All the games played willmore

Two weeks after the Premier Season 3 update, Valve has released another significant update to Counter-Strike 2. This update is the first step in the larger animation system upgrade to AnimGraph 2. Additionally, the update also retouches Overpass, Train and Inferno, adjusting the visibility and overall player legibility around the maps. Gameplay wise, the patch notes refer to an improved damage prediction for shooting while moving which will reduce the cases of false damage. Let’s take a deeper look into this update. Animations Upgrade: Good or Nah? The new update introduces a new animation system to Counter-Strike 2, the AnimGraphmore

After nine years of legendary performances, Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev has officially parted ways with Natus Vincere (NaVi), marking the end of one of the most successful partnerships in Counter-Strike history. The Ukrainian superstar, widely considered the greatest CS:GO player of all time, announced his departure on today, July 28, 2025, in a move that has surprised the entire esports community. The announcement came after NaVi received "several transfer offers" for s1mple following his performance at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025more

The International Olympic Committee has officially confirmed that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. The announcement comes almost one year after the 142nd IOC Session took place in Paris on July 2024, where members unanimously voted to create this new Olympic competition. IOC Decision and Timeline The IOC made history when it decided to create the Olympic Esports Games during its session held alongside the 2024 Paris Olympics. Initially planned for 2025,more

The Play-In Stage of IEM Cologne has concluded. The next stage of competition will be a battle for a chance to step into the Cathedral of Counter-Strike — the LANXESS Arena. Let’s take a look at what this stage has in store. Teams & Format In addition to the 8 teams qualified via the Play-In Stage, 8 directly-invited teams will compete in the IEM Cologne 2025 Group Stage. These teams will be divided into two groups: Each group competes in a double-elimination bracket. Three teams from each group qualify for the Playoffs. Group winners are seeded directly into the Semifinals.more

The Chess EWC 2025 is on the horizon. The event will officially introduce chess into the esports scene, bridging the gap between a traditional board game and modern PC gaming. The inaugural tournament will be played on Chess.com and will act as the CCT conclusion. It will also bring some of the biggest names in the Chess world to the esports stage. Let's take a look at what the tournament has in store for us. Format and Players The Chessmore

The Chinese squad TYLOO has claimed a spot in Counter-Strike history by defeating the legendary Danish organization Astralis in the FISSURE Playground 1 grand final. Taking place in Belgrade, Serbia, the best-of-five series concluded with a 3-1 in favor of TYLOO, rendering the team their first tier-S tournament championship and marking the first time a Chinese team has won a Counter-Strike tournament of this significance. A Historic Victory Against All Odds The grand final was a showcase of resilience andmore

In the world of top-tier esports, hardware matters. Every fraction of a second, every pixel, and every click can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Professional players in CS2 and VALORANT are some of the most discerning tech enthusiasts, relying on only the best mice, keyboards, and headsets. Drawing on detailed data from their current setups, this article highlights the most popular choices and what makes them stand out among elite competitors. Disclaimer: All peripheral usage statistics and pro player gear data featured in this article were sourced from prosettings.net as of July 2025. Peripheral popularity and player preferences can changemore

Counter-Strike skins market is one of the largest of its kind. With a market cap of $4.2Bn, some of these in-game cosmetics cost tens of thousands of real world currency. Consequently, scams are a major issue for CS skins. As a measure against such scams, Valve has announced Trade Protection: feature to recover stolen inventory items. This feature, currently available for CS only, will be rolled out for other Valve and non-Valve titles in the future. What Is Trade Protection &more

On July 14th, the second season of Counter-Strike 2 Premier came to a close. With that, starting July 15th, players can begin their grind once again with Premier Season 3. But that's not all — the update also introduced balance changes and a new feature aimed at protecting players from item scammers. Let’s dive into what this update brings. Season 3 Update The update can be broadly categorized into two sections: Competitive Updates and Trade Protection. We’ll tackle “Trade Protection”more

The Esports World Cup Fantasy Game allow fans to interact with the world's largest esports tournament. For the first time in the tournament's history (EWC 2025), spectators can actively participate in the competition beyond just watching, creating a more immersive and engaging experience. What is EWC Fantasy? EWC Fantasy is a free-to-play fantasy sports platform that allows fans to create virtual teams using real professional esports players and compete for cash prizes. Developed in partnership with Genius Sports, the platform features a massive $200,000 prizemore

The Esports World Cup has returned for its second year with even more games and prestige on the line. With all the excitement of major titles as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and VALORANT to name a few participating, as well as well-established organizations such as T1, Sentinels, and Team Liquid in attendance, the EWC has become a collecting centre for esports fans to enjoy all their favorite titles in one extravaganza. Recently, Strafe Esports sat down with Fabianmore

Few events in the Counter-Strike calendar carry the same prestige and legacy as IEM Cologne. Often called the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” this legendary tournament returns from July 23 to August 8, 2025, bringing together 24 of the world’s best CS2 teams in a battle for glory, legacy, and the coveted trophy. As the final summer spectacle before the road to the next Major begins, all eyes are on Cologne to deliver fireworks once more. New Era, New Format: IEM Colognemore

Team Spirit has officially announced a significant roster change that marks the end of an era for the organization. Boris "magixx" Vorobyev, who has been with the team since September 2019, has been moved to the inactive roster. The Russian rifler's benching comes after nearly six years of service to the team, during which he played an instrumental role in establishing Team Spirit as one of the world's premier Counter-Strike organizations. The End of a Historic Partnership The announcement camemore

The second season of Counter-Strike Premier comes to an end next week, July 14. Similar to season 1, players who competed and grinded the mode will receive a commemorative medal to conclude the season. How to Get the Premier Season 2 Medal? Similar to the Premier season 1, the new medal will be awarded if you fulfill the following conditions; Have a Prime-enabled account Win 25 Premier games Have an active Premier rating The color of the medal will correspond to your highest CS Rating achieved during the season, and the bars will reflect your total wins, with one barmore

The HE Grenade in Counter-Strike is a simple but powerful tool. It delivers explosive damage over a wide area and plays a key role in both offense and defense. While players can only carry one at a time, proper use of the grenade can change the outcome of a round. This article breaks down how the HE Grenade functions, its properties, and how to use it effectively. What Is the HE Grenade? HE stands for High Explosive. The grenade ismore

With the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 officially in the books, Valve has wasted no time rolling out a flurry of in-game content to commemorate Counter-Strike’s first North American Major in over six years. Counter-Strike 2's latest update has delivered new ways to relive the action with the release of the Champions Sticker Capsule honoring Team Vitality's victory, and Souvenir Packages containing charms with highlights from the tournament's playoffs. Autographed Champions Sticker Capsule Ever since the PGL Antewerp Major back in 2022, all Major champions have received their a signature sticker capsule, and this time is no different. Now, Team Vitality's own Championsmore

Team Vitality has delivered what can only be described as the most dominant season in Counter-Strike history. With an unprecedented combination of individual brilliance and tactical perfection, the roster has redefined excellence in competitive Counter-Strike throughout 2025. Tournament Supremacy: Seven Titles in Eight Attempts Team Vitality's tournament record speaks volumes about their dominance. The team has claimed victory in seven out of eight tournaments they entered in 2025, achieving an extraordinary 87.5% tournament win rate. Their trophy cabinet includes some of the most prestigious titles in Counter-Strike: IEM Katowice 2025, ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Spring Lisbon 2025, IEM Melbourne 2025, BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, IEM Dallasmore

One of North America's most prominent esports organizations could be making a significant expansion into Counter-Strike within the next few years. Sentinels, the Los Angeles-based organization known for dominating the VALORANT scene, is seriously considering entering Counter-Strike 2 as early as 2026. Speaking in a recent interview with Sheep Esports, Sentinels CEO Rob Moore revealed that Counter-Strike 2 is currently the most discussed potential expansion within the company. Moore stated: "It's probable that we go in, maybe in 2026 ormore

Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen ended his beautiful career as a professional gamer this past weekend. Below we will tell you a little about the trundling beginnings, the family tragedy in the background, as well as other lesser-known stories from the life of one of Counter-Strike's most successful players, who can be confidently described as one of esports' greatest legends. Career Start and Ensuing Hardships Dupreeh first came across Counter-Strike when he was a teenager. It was then at one of hismore