The Impact of Counter Strike on eSports

What is Counter Strike?

Counter Strike (CS) is a first-person shooter multiplayer video game. The aim of the game is to battle against a team of terrorists that try to perpetrate an act of terror. The act of terror may include bombing, hostage-taking and assassination. The team of players all control a single character and aim to prevent these terrorist acts by using bomb defusal, hostage rescue or escort missions.

The first ever Counter Strike was released in 1999. It was initially released as a modification to another video game called Half-Life. However, in 2000, Counter Strike was released as a retail product from Valve.

Following the initial game, several sequels and spin offs were released over the years. Counter Strike is available on many platforms, including Windows, OS X, Xbox and PlayStation.

How to play Counter Strike?

As mentioned before, Counter Strike is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game. The gameplay is completely objective based, where two teams try and defeat each other by completing objectives. The two teams are:

• Terrorists
• Counter Terrorists

Either team wins when they manage to complete the objectives of the game. That may include securing a location to plant or defuse a bomb, rescuing or guarding a hostage or assassinating or protecting an individual.

Once a round has finished, players are rewarded for their individual contribution in the game. That players the chance to buy more powerful weapons in the following rounds. Both teams receive in-play money after a round, although the winning team receives more than the losing one. Moreover, completing objectives also gives players cash bonuses, such as killing enemy players. By performing uncooperative actions (such as killing teammates), players receive penalties for those actions.

The History of Counter Strike

Below, we cover the history of Counter Strike over the years:

• 2000 – the first ever Counter Strike was released
• 2004 – Counter Strike: Condition Zero, Counter Strike: Source and Counter Strike Neo were released
• 2008 – Counter Strike Online was released
• 2012 – Counter Strike: Global Offensive was released
• 2013 – Counter Strike Online 2 was released
• 2014 – Counter Strike Nexon: Zombies was released

Counter Strike (2000)

In 2000, Valve acquired the right to Counter Strike before releasing it as a retail product. Previously, Counter Strike was only a modification (mod) for Half-Life. The game moved to Xbox in 2003. Ten years on, it became compatible to OS X and Linux in April 2013.

Counter Strike: Condition Zero (2004)

The follow-up game to Counter Strike was Counter Strike: Condition Zero. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios and released in 2004. Similar to the original Counter Strike, it included a single-player mode with a “full” campaign and bonus levels. Additionally, it also had a multiplayer mode as well.

Counter Strike: Source (2004)

Only a few months after Counter Strike: Condition Zero, Counter Strike: Source was released on August 11^th, 2004. The game was released as a beta to member of the Valve Cyber Café Program. It was released for Microsoft Windows but eventually received a port to OS X and Linux in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

Counter Strike Neo (2004)

During the same year, Counter Strike Neo was released. It is a Japanese arcade adaptation of Counter Strike, using the original Half-Life multiplayer modification. It was published by Namco and used on the Linux platform. Counter Strike Neo is a futuristic designed version of Counter Strike, using anime-designed characters and offering a single-player game with missions, mini-games and seasonal events.

Counter Strike Online (2008/2013)

In 2008, Counter Strike Online was released before its sequel, Counter Strike Online 2 was set to release five years later in 2013. It is available in most of eastern Asia and was produced by Nexon in collaboration with Valve.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive (2012)

Counter Strike: Global Offensive was the fourth release of the main game from Counter Strike. The game runs on the Source engine and is available on Microsoft Windows, OSX, Linux, Xbox and PlayStation.

Counter Strike Nexon: Zombies (2014)

In 2014, Nexon released Counter Strike Nexon: Zombies. It is a free-to-play zombie-themed spin off of Counter Strike. The game also features a player versus player mode and team deathmatch, not to mention other objective based team games. On the 30^th of October 2019, Counter Strike Nexon: Zombies was renamed to Counter Strike Nexon: Studio.

What are Counter Strike Tournaments?

Ever since the early 2000s, Counter Strike has been played at both international and national tournaments. It is one of the most popular eSports in the world and therefore incredibly popular to place wagers on for fans. In Counter Strike tournaments, the best players in the world compete for huge cash prizes.

The two teams in Counter Strike both have five players each. For each round, the Terrorists have to try and commit a terrorist act. The Counter Terrorists have to try and stop them. In total, there are thirty rounds, excluding overtime. The first team to win sixteen rounds wins the game. While Counter Strike is a shoot ‘em game, there are many strategies that players use to outwit their opponents.

The Aftermath

Once a round has finished, both teams are given in-game money. The amount of money that the teams receive depends on whether they won or lost the previous round. Players in the team can use the money to buy gear that may help them win the upcoming round. Should a team not have enough money to buy specific gear to fit their strategy, they must use other tricks and tactics to buy gear that can assist them in the following round. This makes Counter Strike and incredibly interesting game to watch and can lead to some very competitive games.

Counter Strike in eSports

Due to the growing popularity of Counter Strike, online bookies saw a potential for players and fans to tune in to the biggest competitions and also make each game more interesting. Counter Strike games are broadcast or streamed, giving fans access to live coverage of the largest competitions in the Counter Strike franchise. The coverage of each game is easy to watch, with special features such as a dynamic first-person view and alternating player perspectives. Fans of Counter Strike will be able to notice various strategies and tricks that the top players use. Furthermore, they may also develop their own style while watching the top ranked players in Counter Strike worldwide.

Counter Strike Types of Bets

Counter Strike tournaments have rocketed the video games’ popularity to new heights. Once the online betting industry heard of the popularity of Counter Strike, it started offering bets on the video game. There are many different types of bets available on Counter Strike.

Counter Strike matches are played virtually, meaning they can be found on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, there are also many different leagues in Counter Strike, including ESL Pro League, ESL Challenger, ESEA: Advanced Division and some national leagues. Counter Strike is similar to betting on conventional sports games or events. This allows punters to recognize a number of bets online.

Outright Betting

Before a tournament starts, or during the matches of the competition, it is possible to bet on a team that will win. These types of bets are known as long-term betting, as the team to win will have to advance through all of the rounds before eventually winning the ultimate game. Usually, the odds that are offered on outright bets are quite favourable.

Live Betting

One of the most popular types of bets for Counter Strike is live betting. It is available at all online sportsbooks that offers bets on the eSport. Live betting allows fans to place a variety of bets after the match has begun. Thus, during the match, players can bet on the result, the best players and so on.

Whenever Counter Strike fans try and place live bets, they will find a variety of live bets available. The odds may fluctuate, depending on how the team is performing. Hence, you may have to wait for the odds to settle and place your wager before they block out and change. It is nothing to worry about, except players must expect the odds to change. If you can see the strategy that a team is using, it may help you place your live bet to aim for a win.

One of the main reasons why live betting is incredibly popular for Counter Strike is because many new teams join the biggest competitions. However, there is not too much information about the new team, the players or the strategies that they are using. That is why betting on a live event may increase your chances of winning, once you see how both teams are competing. If you understand Counter Strike strategies and gameplay, placing live bets on any game will enhance your chances of winning.

Match Result

Before any game starts, or during the match, it is always possible to bet on which team will win. The bookies’ favourite will always have the lower odds, as they are the more favourable one to win. However, the bookmaker is not always right. For that reason, betting on the underdog can also prove to be beneficial.

Round Winner

During the biggest Counter Strike competitions, matches can last a series of games. These are known as rounds. Sometimes, a match can consist of a series of five or a series of seven. This gives players the option to bet on the team to win each round, rather than the whole match. It is easier for bettors to predict the winner of a round, based on previous rounds, as they will have more in-game money to buy better gear to use.

Map Winner

Similar to betting on rounds, players can also bet on the team to win on a specific map. One team may be more favourable when playing on a map, compared to the other team. Even if the secondary team is better overall, the first team may have a stronger chance of winning on a specific map.

Handicap Betting

There are a number of different handicap bets that are available to players. The main handicaps can be set by round or by map. This allows players to increase the betting odds or reduce the risk of placing money on the underdog. The odds will vary depending on the type of handicap bet that the player is wagering.

Even More Counter Strike Bets

In addition to these bets above, there are many more Counter Strike bets that can be placed. The bets may vary to include specific things such as pistol round winners, whether or not there will be an overtime on a map, the team to have the most kills and more. Essentially, it makes betting on Counter Strike even more interesting.

How to Increase your Chances of Winning?

Although there are no specific strategies that you can use to bet on Counter Strike, there are ways you can improve your chances of winning. To do so, you will have to do a little research before placing your bets. Here are some ways that you can increase your chances:

• Bet on Team Form – look at the most recent matches that both teams have played and how they have performed.
• Head-to-Head – have a look at the result and statistics the previous time both teams have faced each other.
• Live Betting – place your bets after the match has already started. That way, you will see how both teams are doing and have an idea of which team you want to bet on.

The Future of Counter Strike in eSports

One thing that does not lie is numbers. The figures show that Counter Strike is becoming more popular to bet on with every passing year. At this rate, we can assume that the future of Counter Strike is looking healthy, with more players and fans streaming live events than ever before.