Has the UMP-45’s Dominance in CS:GO Finally Been Curbed?
The UMP-45 has been a topic of heated discussion in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) ever since 2017. While the gun received a buff in 2014, it wasn’t until recently that its presence in the professional scene became an issue. Valve addressed this by nerfing the UMP-45’s damage in a May 23 patch, but concerns remain about the gun’s remaining strengths. Let’s take a closer look at whether the UMP-45’s efficacy has declined and if the overall economic metagame has improved.
Looking back at recent statistics, it appears that there has been a slight decline in the UMP-45’s popularity. However, it’s important to analyze the data and consider other factors before drawing any conclusions. When SMGs were initially buffed in 2014, it took some time for them to gain acceptance in competitive play. But gradually, the UMP-45 emerged as the submachine gun of choice, thanks to its low cost and high kill reward. This led to an increase in UMP-45 usage among professional players.
However, the rise of the UMP-45 has had negative consequences for the game. The increased frequency of UMP-45 force-buys has made the economy more fragile, affecting teams that rely on expensive setups. Additionally, the constant abundance of UMP-45s disrupts the natural flow of the game. To address these issues, Valve made changes to the UMP-45’s damage falloff, aiming to limit its use as a rifle alternative.
While there has been a noticeable shift in the UMP-45’s popularity, it’s crucial to examine specific matchups to get a more accurate understanding of its impact. Comparing pre-nerf and post-nerf games between Astralis and Virtus.pro on specific maps like Nuke and Overpass reveals interesting insights. On Nuke, there is a clear decline in UMP-45 usage, but the same trend is not seen on Overpass.
However, the shift in UMP-45 usage doesn’t necessarily align with the desired outcome. The goal is for the UMP-45 to be a less viable substitute for a rifle, rather than a less viable SMG. Despite the nerf, teams still tend to opt for UMP-45s in force-buy rounds instead of fully saving or choosing other sub-prime weapons. It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue or if the UMP-45’s popularity will stagnate or revert in the future.
There are encouraging signs that the nerf has had an effect, though. In the ECS Season 3 finals, neither FaZe nor OpTic bought a single UMP-45, indicating a shift in gameplay. While the UMP-45 may not have completely fallen out of favor, it’s clear that Valve’s nerf has had an impact. Only time will tell how this trend will evolve in the upcoming weeks and months.
UMP-45, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, game balance, SMG, professional scene, nerf, damage, competitive scene, economic metagame, UMP usage, CS:GO metagame