Looking Back at Counter-Strike in 2016
As we approach the final month of the year, let’s reflect on the year of Counter-Strike in 2016. It was a great year filled with the rise and fall of teams, improvements and setbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.
SK Gaming wins ESL One Cologne 2016
SK Gaming emerged as the favorites, but faced tough competition from Virtus.Pro and Team Liquid. However, SK Gaming managed to secure their second Major win of the year, making them the team to beat. Despite their success, their performance was not as impressive as the team that previously won two Major tournaments in a row, like Fnatic.
FlipSid3 secure legends status and NiP lose it for the first time
FlipSid3 Tactics, a relatively middling team, surprised everyone by making it to the playoffs for the first time in a Major tournament. On the other hand, Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) lost their Major spot for the first time in history. This came as a disappointment to fans who had hoped for improvement since the addition of coach Björn “THREAT” Pers.
Only 2 Majors in 2016
In a departure from the usual three Majors per year, 2016 saw only two. Some fans were worried that this signaled the decline of CS:GO, but the game remains strong despite challenges. Many fans had hoped for an International tournament like Dota 2, but the reduction in Majors only meant fewer opportunities for teams to compete for the high-level tournaments.
Virtus.Pro wins ELEAGUE Season 1
Fnatic’s journey to the finals of ELEAGUE seemed like an amazing comeback story, but Virtus.Pro had a surprise of their own. After being relegated in the ESL Pro League, Virtus.Pro made a comeback and secured the championship. They proved that it’s not about changing players, but about changing roles.
Zeus leaves Na’Vi and s1mple gets a chance on his dream team
Danil “Zeus” Teslenko, the in-game leader of Na’Vi, was replaced by Sergey “starix” Ischuk. Na’Vi recruited s1mple, but the team struggled to find their style without a hands-on coach. While s1mple brought more skill, they still have some work to do to reach their full potential.
Skin gambling closes down
Following scandals involving esports personalities, skin gambling was shut down. Valve sent cease and desist letters to gambling companies, but not all of them complied. The Washington State Gambling Commission ordered Valve to take more action to prevent gambling in Washington. Valve disputed the claim, stating that they are not in violation of the law.
Accuracy changes
Valve made changes to the recoil patterns of the M4 and AK, making first shots more accurate, but subsequent sprays less accurate. They also adjusted accuracy calculations for guns midair, making it harder to achieve perfect accuracy. These changes were well-received by the community.
Godsent turns out to be a flop and loses Major spot with KRiMZ departure
After the break-up of Fnatic, Godsent, the new team formed, failed to live up to expectations. Freddy “KRiMZ” Johansson left Godsent to rejoin Fnatic, securing their Major spot, while Godsent had to play in the Regional Minor.
Many new talk shows are created
After the end of “By the Numbers,” fans were treated to a variety of new talk shows about Counter-Strike. Room on Fire’s “State of CS,” “Drop the Bomb,” and “Counter-Points” provided different perspectives on current events and analysis of the game.
Tarik turns OpTic into a success
Tarik “tarik” Celik, unhappy with playing on CLG, joined OpTic and helped lead them to success. With Tarik on their roster, OpTic defeated top-tier teams.
Heroic and Dignitas become contenders
With the decline of Astralis, Heroic and Dignitas emerged as the top Danish teams, making their mark on the international stage.
New Inferno
The new version of Inferno showed promise, with improvements to the map design and addressing previous complaints. Professional teams will have to practice on it before it can be seen in official tournaments.
Astralis breaks up and gla1ve comes back into the fold
Astralis, facing underwhelming results, made changes to their roster by kicking karrigan and bringing in gla1ve. This decision has shown some improvement in the team’s performance.
FaZe starts to turn it around with karrigan / FaZe turns out not to be a vanity project and the deep roster proves innovative
FaZe made significant changes by recruiting karrigan as their in-game leader. This decision has transformed the team and shown that their deep roster can be successful.
C9 becomes the first NA team to win an international tournament in 10 years
Cloud9’s victory at ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals marked a significant achievement for the North American scene. They defeated top teams, including SK Gaming, on their way to victory.
Standard salary in NA mentioned multiple times to be $125,000
The standard salary for professional players in North America is reportedly $125,000. Some players, like Hiko, are earning even more. This demonstrates the increasing financial rewards in esports.
zews leaves SK for IMT, and that fails
Wilton “zews” Prado left SK Gaming to join Immortals as their in-game leader. However, the team’s performance declined, and zews was eventually replaced. Immortals has since seen improvement and won the iBuypower Masters tournament.
Echo Fox and NRG were a waste of money
Echo Fox and NRG, both owned by traditional sports organizations, did not achieve the desired results. Despite attempts to improve, both teams struggled. NRG has recently hired Luis “Peacemaker” Tadeo as their leader, hoping for better results.
The ELEAGUE Season 2 playoffs are about to begin, with high stakes for the participating teams. Many questions surround the event, such as the limits of Dignitas, SK’s chances of victory, and Astralis’ contention. Teams like mousesports and OpTic are also in the spotlight. The impact of karrigan on FaZe, the possibility of Virtus.Pro winning two ELEAGUEs in a row, and the historical significance of ELEAGUE Season 2 will all be revealed.
If you missed Part 1 of this article, you can read it here. Follow @GAMURScom for more articles by me.
Photo credit: Esports Edition
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