Counter Strike: Global Offensive or CS:GO is a popular first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve. The game just celebrated its 10-year anniversary on August 21, 2022. However, the game is still going strong, with more than a million regular active players on Steam.

Despite heavy competition from other FPS games such as VALORANT, Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and Warzone 2.0, the game is showing no sign of stopping even in 2023. The game will always be at the heart of every CS and FPS enthusiast. And as everyone says, CS:GO is a game that never dies.

Since CS:GO’s launch, Valve has released many maps for this game. Every map has its uniqueness. However, Valve puts an intense amount of time into making every one of those maps balanced and playable through continuous updates.

Even then, players prefer some maps over others due to many reasons. For maps like Dust II, Mirage, Inferno, and Cache, players have a special place in their hearts. As a result, people like to play specific maps more than others.

Read More: The Best Cheap Knives in CS:GO

Best CS:GO Maps for Matchmaking

So, in this section, we’ll list the top 10 most popular maps currently available in CS:GO. Additionally, this list will only consider the competitive maps under the game’s official matchmaking system.

1. Mirage

• Active Duty Map.

Best map for playing with random teammates.

2. Dust II

• Reserves Group Map.

A paradise for AWPers. You can’t go wrong, even with 5 AWPs.

3. Inferno

• Active Duty Map.

Utility usage is very critical.

4. Vertigo

• Active Duty Map.

Number 1 rule: Don’t fall off the map!

5. Overpass

• Active Duty Map.

Best to play with a team. Strategies are critical.

6. Nuke

• Active Duty Map.

If one team gets rolling, it’s tough to stop them.

7. Ancient

• Active Duty Map.

Unlike the map’s name, it is not very Acient in CS:GO.

8. Cache

• Reserves Group Map.

Once in a while, Cache is all you need.

9. Anubis

• Active Duty Map.

It’ll take time to understand the map effectively.

10. Agency

• Hostage Group Map.

Varieties are needed. So, Hostage Rescue map it is!

Read More: Best Weapons in CS:GO: Ranked from Worst to Best

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Valve recently announced Counter-Strike 2. With the announcement, the developers have also confirmed that the skins owned in CS:GO will remain in Counter-Strike 2. Moreover, with the Source 2 visual update, the skins look better than ever.

Following the announcement, the price of the CS:GO skins also started to skyrocket in recent days. More and more skins, cases, and stickers are being traded regularly on the Steam market.

However, some trades are also being made outside the Steam market as they remain some of the expensive skins in the game. Similarly, a trader named ZipeL just completed the second-largest trade in CS history. ZipeL sold an AK-47 Case Hardened and Karambit Case Hardened skins for $500,000 in total.

Read More: G2 NiKo Thinks the Responsive Smokes is a Bad Addition to the Game and Might Get Removed

AK-47 and Karambit Case Hardened Skins for $500,000?

If you’re familiar with the CS:GO skins, you already know that some CS:GO skins have specific and unique patterns. Even within those patterns, some are ultra-rare skins that only exist in a limited quantity in the whole world.

So naturally, these skins are very expensive, and only very few people own them as souvenirs in their collection. The two skins mentioned are AK-47 Case Hardened ST MW (661 pattern) and Karambit Case Hardened (#387 P1 pattern.)

Both skins are the rarest in the Case Hardened category and have the most blue coloring among all the Case Hardened skins. On top of that, the AK-47 skin has 4x Titan | Katowice 2014 (Holo) stickers. Each of these stickers costs well above $60,000

ZipeL worked as a middleman to complete the trade on behalf of Luksusbums, the previous owner of these rare Case Hardened skins. However, there is no official information regarding the buyer except for the fact that the buyer is a Chinese collector.

Read More: Popular CSGO Skin Trading Website Gets Hacked, $6 Million Worth Of Skins Have Been Stolen

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CS:GO Source 2 is a highly anticipated update that the Counter-Strike community has been waiting for ages. Like many other features, such as fluid movement and better visuals, the community expects 128 tick servers from the latest update.

CS:GO’s rival game VALORANT also implements 128 tick rate servers within their matchmaking system, making the gameplay more fluid than official Valve CS:GO servers offering only up to 64 tick rates.

Although playing on 128-tick servers through a third-party platform such as FACEIT or community servers is possible, playing on official servers is much more convenient. So, it is something that players want Valve to release alongside Source 2.

Read More: More Counter Strike 2 Leaks Lead to Believe CS:GO Source 2 is Just Weeks Away!

CS:GO Source 2 Might Introduce a Variable Tick Rate System

Gabe Follower, a popular data miner in the Counter-Strike community, found new information related to the potential CS:GO Source 2 update. According to the leaker, CS:GO Source 2 might not introduce the traditional 128 tick rate servers found in FACEIT or VALORANT.

Instead, the new update will allegedly introduce a new “Tickless/ Subtick System,” which appears to be a variable tick rate system. Meaning the server might not always operate at the maximum tick rate. Instead, the server will only operate at a 128-tick rate when player movement or action is detected.

However, Richard Lewis’s article mentioned that Counter Strike 2 will have 128 tick rate servers, and “this feature would likely be ready at the launch of the beta.” So, it is still unclear how Valve is planning to implement the new tick rate system in CS:GO Source 2. Nonetheless, without experiencing the game firsthand, it can’t be said for certain how good the “Tickless/ Subtick System” will be.

Read More: Best Weapons in CS:GO 2023: Ranked from Worst to Best

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Despite the new engine’s availability, CS:GO had been running on the same old Source engine since 2012, whereas Dota integrated Source 2 upon its release. As a result, CS:GO Source 2 has been a highly-anticipated update to the Counter-Strike community for a long time.

However, the long-awaited waiting is most likely ending with all the leaks and rumors coming out from the dark and giving players a new glimmer of light. Only a few days back, we got some crucial information about Counter-Strike 2’s potential launch, and now, more leaks are overflowing the CS community.

Read More: Counter Strike 2 is Right Around the Corner and is Real!

CS:GO 2 Beta Might be Only a Few Weeks Away!

The CS:GO Source 2 leaks started appearing in early July 2022. However, no factual evidence was there to prove it was related to an upcoming CS:GO 2 operations. Nonetheless, a recent article from Richard Lewis set the Counter-Strike community in detective mode.

Moreover, Gabe Follower, a leaker in the CS community, has continuously been sharing Source 2-related leaks, leading everyone to believe CS:GO Source 2 is just weeks away and is ready to go live.

Apparently, Gaben Follower found some code lines from the latest Dota 2 update. But what do these codes mean?

According to Bubfusion‘s comment in the thread, “These are lines from Dota 2 files. Dota 2 is built on the source 2 engine. That means any reference to CSGO within Dota files references the S2 port. There are a lot of them in the newest D2 update which are leaks. We can see some features that are referenced. Means S2 port soon.”

So, are we really getting Counter Strike 2 or CS:GO 2 with the latest Source engine? It seems more likely than ever. Regardless, it is too soon to confirm anything without an official announcement from Valve. Until then, one can only speculate.

Read More: Best Weapons in CS:GO 2023: Ranked from Worst to Best

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Since CS: GO‘s release, the game has gone through multiple updates making the game a little better than the previous version. However, the fundamentals of the game and the Source engine remained the same, despite of Source 2 engine’s availability.

Since then, the Counter Strike community has been waiting for the Source 2 engine to be implemented into the game. There were countless instances where it seemed like Source 2 would release very soon, but it never happened.

The hopium for the release of Source 2 has grown to the point that it has become a “meme” anytime there is news or optimism in this regard. Nonetheless, there have been multiple occasions since late 2022 when data miners and leakers have discovered valuable information concerning secret Counter Strike operations that are currently being worked on, giving players new hope. And, this time, it might be for real!

Read More: Best Wireless Mouse for CSGO

Counter Strike 2 is “About Ready to Go”

Early in July 2022, data miners discovered that certain maps were being tested on the game using the “S2” code, which stands for Source 2. This discovery set off the major hopium train. Also, CS: GO developers were seen testing those servers within the game.

Many thought that the 10-year anniversary of CS:GO would see the debut of Counter Strike 2. However, that never happened, and things went quiet for some time. And just recently, the hype was once again brought back to life in the community when Valve changed its official CS:GO Twitter banner to only “Counter Strike.”

Nonetheless, Valve played around with the banner similarly in late 2022. Although it had no deep meaning, many noticed this simple change. After that, on March 1, Gabe Follower, a popular leaker in CS:GO community, shared some insights related to the newest NVIDIA driver support for two new executables, “csgos2.exe” and “cs2.exe”

Even if we remove all the rumors, leaks, and speculations from the equations, the news shared by Richard Lewis, a reputable eSports journalist in the community, may convince us that Counter Strike 2 is actually happening.

Richard got some crucial information related to Counter Strike 2 from anonymous sources that have direct link to the game’s development,

“Indeed there was a new version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on its way and that had been worked on for some time. The new version is almost certainly set to be released under the working title Counter-Strike 2 and the tentative release date for the beta is in this month of March with April 1st at the outside.”

According to Richard Lewis, the sources confirmed that Counter Strike 2 would be on Source 2 engine, and the servers would be 128 tick similar to FACEIT and VALORANT. The sources also mentioned that the game is “about ready to go,” and has already been tested by some professional players that were flown out in secret to Valve’s headquarters in Seattle.

Read More: Popular CSGO Skin Trading Website Gets Hacked, $6 Million Worth Of Skins Have Been Stolen

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The Knives in CS:GO are some of the most expensive skins in the game and are owned by a very small percentage of players. These skins have cool animations and are unique as they completely change the knife instead of just recolors like weapon skins. With each knife skin, you get a completely different knife with new animations.

But the biggest obstacle to owning a shiny new knife is the price. For a decent knife costing a few hundred dollars, it becomes really expensive really fast as you go up the chain of the best knives in CS:GO.

In recent times, due to the massive surge of players, increased demands, and crypto miners bailing the scene and liquidating their assets in the CS:GO marketplace, the prices of most skins, especially knives, shot up sky-high.

• Read More: Best Knife Skins in CS:GO

But do not fret, as we have gathered a list of the best cheap knives which look actually decent and don’t end up costing an arm and a leg. We will be going over a knife tier list to give you an idea of the best knife types and suggest the best knives to buy in multiple budget ranges.

Best Knife Skins in CS:GO (A Complete Tier List)

Since the game’s release, Valve has released 19 different types of knife skins in CS:GO so far. Each knife also comes in different finishes and wears, so a price of a knife can greatly vary. The lowest-grade finishes (Scorched, Safari Mesh) in the worst wear can be very cheap, while high-grade finishes (Doppler, Fade) in the best wear can end up costing up to 5 times that of the cheap variants.

All the skins have been ranked on the basis of their looks, along with their equip and inspect animations. One thing Valve has incorporated into knives is that some of them have secret unique equip and inspect animations. Those have also been accounted into the rankings. Like all tier lists, this is subjective, so some of you might not fully agree with the above list. Prices are from the time of writing and are subject to change, but they will not stray far from the prices mentioned below.

Best Cheap Knives in CS:GO

Among all the knife skins released in CS:GO so far, we have taken some budget ranges: under $70, under $100, $100-150, $150-200, $200-300, and up to $500. Now you might think, how is $500 even considered cheap? But you’ll get to know those are still considered affordable compared to the best knives in CS:GO that can easily be worth up to $1500 and more.

Best CS:GO Knife under $70

This is going to be your entry point into the world of CS:GO knives. There are barely any knives in this price range, but if you’re willing to compromise looks and your main objective is to just have anything except the default knife at a bare minimum price, then this price range that you’ll be looking at. Expect the worst-tier knives with medium to low-tier finishes.

Navaja Knife Vanilla

Steam Market Price: $60

The Navaja knife is one of the newer knives added to the game in 2018. Being a knife added so late into the release of CS:GO, it definitely could have looked a lot better instead of resembling your local barber’s favorite tool. Regardless, the Navaja knife Vanilla is the one you can look out for as it is the cheapest knife in the game.

Navaja Knife Ultraviolet FT

Steam Market Price: $60

Another option is to go for a Navaja Knife Ultraviolet FT, which looks pretty sleek.

Shadow Daggers Bright Water FT

Steam Market Price: $70

The Shadow Daggers are dual-wielded daggers and are the only two-handed melee in the game. This knife is often made fun of by the community, but regardless, the Shadow Daggers Bright Water FT can be a pretty cool knife especially considering its low price.

Best CS:GO Knife under $100

At this range, you’ll have a few more options that are pretty decent but expect the same lower-tier finishes. This would be a better budget to have if you want to buy a knife since you’ll actually get more knife types to choose from.

Gut Knife Vanilla

Steam Market Price: $82

After you increase your budget a bit more, you gain access to the Gut knife. This knife was added to the game back in 2015 and has a decent equip animation. The Gut Vanilla is a pretty decent purchase at just over $80.

Bowie Knife Boreal Forest FT

Steam Market Price: $83

The Bowie Knife is the biggest knife available in the game, and it definitely has a menacing vibe. You can pick up the Bowie Knife Boreal Forest in FT for $83, and the forest theme really suits this rugged knife.

Falchion Knife Vanilla

Steam Market Price: $99

The Falchion knife was added to the game in 2015 and is available from the Falchion case. You can pick up the Falchion Vanilla, which is overall a decent-looking knife with a secret inspect animation coming in at just under $100.

Best CS:GO Knife under $150

Now you’re a bit more serious about choosing a knife to buy. Around $150, you’ll gain access to the mid-tier knives of the game as well as high-end finishes to the previous knives on the list. You get a bit more freedom to choose here, as you can pick between a better knife or a prettier finish.

Flip Knife Ultraviolet FT

Steam Market Price: $130

The Flip knife was added to the game back in 2015 and is available in multiple finishes. Among them, the Flip Knife Ultraviolet is a sleek-looking knife coming in at $130. You can get it in the FT condition for good value for money, as it still looks pretty decent.

Bowie Knife Case Hardened FT

Steam Market Price: $134

Usually, Case Hardened skins are like a hit or miss, well, mostly a miss. The main value of a case-hardened skin comes from how much blue it has, so if you’re a fan of the case-hardened knives and spot a Bowie in FT condition with decent blue at around $134, you can definitely go for it.

Shadow Daggers Lore FT

Steam Market Price: $137

If you like the Shadow Daggers and want a beautiful finish, you can definitely pick up the Shadow Daggers Lore FT.

Huntsman Knife Vanilla

Steam Market Price: $150

The Huntsman knife is one of the meaner-looking knives in the game with a bulky but cooler appearance. It also has the spinning equip animation like the gut knife, but it suits the Huntsman knife much better. Just at $150, you really can’t go wrong with the Huntsman Knife Vanilla.

Best CS:GO Knife under $200

At this price point, you pretty much gain access to the medium-high-tier knives in the game. Although you have to settle for lower-grade finishes, the animation and gameplay experience of these knives will truly allow you to fully enjoy the experience of owning a cool knife. You can also choose to go for medium/lower tier knives but with the top tier finishes.

Talon Knife Night Stripe FT

Steam Market Price: $177

The Talon knife looks more like Karambit’s younger brother, with a worse equip animation but cooler inspect animation. If you always wanted to own a Karambit, but you aren’t legally able to sell off one of your kidneys, you can definitely settle for a Talon knife. The Night Stripe FT is going to allow you to get a knife with a very fun inspect animation at just under $180 if you don’t mind a few scratches.

Bayonet Blue Steel WW

Steam Market Price: $184

The Bayonet probably has one of the coolest standard equip animations in the game. The entire knife flips around the outside of the hand, seemingly defying all laws of physics that are known to man. We are very fortunate to be able to find this knife in a decent-looking Blue Steel WW finish for just over $180.

Huntsman Knife Tiger Tooth FN

Steam Market Price: $189

If you’re more into high-tier finishes, you can definitely check out the Huntsman Knife Tiger Tooth FN. The Tiger Tooth is one of the most vibrant knife finishes in the game, and it perfectly suits the Hunstman knife.

Best CS:GO Knife Under $300

Now you’re getting really serious. You saved up all your birthday money and Christmas money and are committed to spending it all on the game you love the most. At $300, you gain access to the high-tier knives of the game.

Karambit Boreal Forest FT

Steam Market Price: $267

The Karambit is by far one of the best knives in CS:GO history. The knife features a claw-like blade with a ring at the end held with a reverse grip, making it stand out from most other knives. The primary and secondary attacks of these knives are swipes of the curved blade, which looks really cool. Now at this price range, just be thankful you’re getting a Karambit at all, and the Boreal Forest in FT looks pretty decent.

M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FT

Steam Market Price: $282

The M9 Bayonet is the bigger brother of the Bayonet, and it is also one of the classic high-tier knives in CS:GO. It features a military-grade build with a sharp edge on one side and a serrated edge on the other. The M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FT is a very good-looking knife for just over $280.

Skeleton Knife Stained WW

Steam Market Price: $284

The Skeleton knife is one of the newer knives in the game added and features a unique appearance with it being almost all-blade and a center ring which is often used to maneuver the knife. The knife also comes with extremely cool secret equip and inspect animations where the knife is spun around the center ring. The Skeleton knives are one of the most expensive knives in the game, but you can snag a Stained WW for under $300.

Best CS:GO Knife Under $500

So you’re finally here, the point of no return. You have stolen your mom’s credit card, and irresponsible spending is the number one priority in your feeble mind. You think of spending $500 to get some of the craziest and coolest looking knives CS:GO begins to offer. Jokes aside, at this range, the Knives get really good. Karambits, Bayonets, Doppler knives, and even the elusive Butterfly Knife seem to come within reach at this budget.

Bayonet Tiger Tooth FN

Steam Market Price: $377

The Tiger tooth is one of the most colorful and vibrant finishes, and coupled with the insane equip animations of the Bayonet, the Bayonet Tiger Tooth is a beautiful high-tier knife.

Karambit Freehand FN

Steam Market Price: $414

The prices of Karambit knives are so high that even close to $500, you cannot hope to get one of the more vibrant finishes. But just over $400, the Karambit Freehand is definitely a decent-looking Karambit with a mid-tier finish.

Talon Knife Slaughter MW

Steam Market Price $450

At this price range, you can afford a much better-looking Talon knife. We recommend going for the Talon Knife Slaughter as it is a vibrant and colorful high-tier finish for this knife. The Talon Knife Slaughter MW will be setting you back a hefty $450.

M9 Bayonet Doppler FN

Steam Market Price: $467

Another high-tier finish is the Doppler skin. Available in 4 phases and 3 gems, the M9 Doppler FN is one of the most beautiful M9s out there. You can grab a Phase 2 M9 Doppler for around $470.

Butterfly Knife Stained MW

Steam Market Price: $490

Finally, we are able to snag the elusive Butterfly knife, which is notorious for its ridiculously high prices. Even stretching to $500, we are only able to purchase one of the lower-tier finishes for this skin. But the knife itself is so good with its beautiful animation, it earns its rightful place on our list.

• Read More: The Most Expensive AWP Skins in CS:GO

So this wraps up the best cheap CS:GO knife skins in the game. There might be other decent options in the budget ranges, but these are the best-looking and best-value knives you can get. Now you can get to flexing with your shiny new knife without going broke.

The post The Best Cheap Knives in CS:GO 2023 appeared first on GameRiv.

There are a total of 34 weapons in CS:GO, including 10 Pistols, 6 Heavies, 7 SMGs, and 11 Rifles. The Heavy category contains 4 Shotguns and 2 Machine guns. The Rifle category contains 7 Assault rifles, of which 2 can be scoped and 4 Sniper rifles. Besides those, there are multiple gears and utility options as well.

Since CS:GO is a dynamic game, the weapon you should buy will depend on many factors. There are no absolute rules about what gun you should buy in a specific situation, but some general rules will give you the best outcome in typical situations. But, of course, the best-case scenario is to buy the best equipment available to you to be able to get the most out of them. But you can’t always be able to afford all that gear. So depending on your team’s economy and your opponent’s economy, some specific situations will arise. This guide aims to advise you on the best weapons to buy, depending on the situation.

All the Weapons in CS:GO

First, let’s take a look at all of the weapons available in CS:GO. We’re not going to go into detail about utilities like grenades and armor in this guide and will be just focusing on the weapons.

Now, we will go a bit into detail about each weapon and its comprehensive stats.

CS:GO Weapon Price, Kill reward, Damage, and more

Pistols

The pistols in CS:GO are the cheapest weapons you can get. They have a short-medium range, decent damage, and high mobility. If used correctly, it can easily net you a kill against an opponent with a rifle.

Shotguns

Shotguns are some of the least used guns in CS:GO. Since they have a very short range, these are usually viable on the CT side and from unsuspecting angles. They also have the highest kill reward in the game, which makes them really good on Eco rounds.

SMGs

SMGs are the best option for run and gun tactics. They are useless against armored opponents but make quick work of opponents without armor. Except for the P90, the SMGs in the game have good kill rewards and will be your pick when opting for a rush or an Anti-Eco round.

Automatic Rifles

These are the bread and butter of your arsenal. You will find yourself using these guns in the majority of your rounds. The reason being they offer the highest damage, accuracy, and reliability in the game. If unable to afford these guns, consider saving up and having an Eco round to purchase these in the following round. Or just force buy and focus on killing a fully buying opponent and taking their rifle.

MGs

These are pretty unpopular due to their inaccuracy and low movement speed. However, the Negev is a decent option on the CT side since it’s cheap and has a high rate of fire.

Sniper Rifles

Sniper Rifles in the game are powerful but come at the cost of reduced mobility. And AWPer can dish out devastating amounts of damage but will usually be in an unfavorable condition when surrounded or at close distances.

CS:GO Weapon Tier list

Since the game has been out, the weapons have gone through many buffs, nerfs, and changes. And here is the tier list of the guns in CS:GO.

In the S tier, we have the M4A4/A1-S, Ak-47, and AWP. The T side SG553 is also included because of its scoped 1 shot kill potential. In the A tier, we have the FAMAS and Galil, slightly worse versions of the M4 and Ak. The CT Auto sniper has been included here since its lethal in defending long ranges. The Deagle and Tec-9 have been included because of their 1 shot headshot and rushing capabilities on a low budget.

In the B tier, we have the SMGs, which are good for anti-eco but have poor armor penetration. We also have the P250, an excellent Eco weapon, and the T auto sniper. In the C tier, we have shotguns and expensive pistols, which also work well on Ecos. In the D tier, we have the Ct starting pistol and the Nova because they are weak when the enemy has decent buys. The T pistol, Sawed-off, Bizon, M249, and Dualies are in the E tier because they are poor in damage, range, and cost-effectiveness.

As for the R8 Revolver, we still don’t know why this even exists in the game in its current state. Some tweaks, like a reduced primary fire time with reduced damage, might help this gun get some play, if at all.

Which weapon to use in which situation

What you should buy depends largely on what situation you’re in. The game starts with the Pistol round, and which team wins/loses will determine the subsequent type of round you’ll face. Since the rounds are largely dependent on the economic condition of your as well as your opponent’s team, subsequent rounds will be Eco rounds, Anti-Eco, Force buys, and Full buy rounds.

Pistol Round

In the pistol round, you can always get away with using the starting pistols. For the CT side, it’s the USP-S/P2000, and for the T side, it’s the Glock-18. The CT default pistols are superior to the T side’s one because of higher accuracy and one-shot potential. But this comes at the cost of a smaller magazine size, where the Glock-18 reigns supreme. It is very hard to stop a full T rush with 20 bullet mag Glocks being spammed at your face in close range.

You can keep the default pistols and buy armor or buy utilities to aid your team. You can also opt to buy a better pistol, especially on the T side. The Five-SeveN, CZ75, and Tec-9 are good options as you can have just enough money left to buy a nade or a flash.

Eco Round

As the name suggests, “Eco” rounds or Economical rounds are played when you are very low on money and want to use the round-end bonus earnings to buy yourselves good weapons on the next round.

Playing Eco or Save rounds is crucial in CS:GO as managing the economy can affect the flow of the game to a huge degree. It is generally wise to save money to afford full-buy rounds rather than play with mediocre guns when low on money.

In Eco Rounds, you can either full-save with the intention being to save as much money as possible and get the round over with quickly. Another option is to buy a cheap yet effective pistol like the P250, Tec-9, CZ75, or the Desert Eagle with the intention to be able to take down one opponent at least and take their gun or to cause as much economic damage to the enemy team as possible. On the CT side, the shotguns such as the Nova might also be a valid option.

Anti-Eco Round

Anti-Eco Rounds refer to rounds where you know the enemy will be saving or Eco-ing. This can be right after they lose the pistol round or an important full-buy round.

Since the enemy is likely to have no armor on, the best weapons in this class are the SMGs. The Mac-10, MP7, MP5-SD, and MP9 dominate this category. The Negev on the CT side can also be highly effective. The high rate of fire and cheap cost of these weapons make them a solid option against Eco rounds.

Full Buy Round

This is what you will typically aim to get and use for most of the rounds in CS:GO. This will cost the most and will give you the highest chance of securing a round. Due to the higher cost of this buy, it is advisable to go for an Eco round when the majority of your team cannot afford to full-buy.

A full buy round will consist of getting any one of the three signature weapons: the Ak-47, the M4A4/M4A1-S, and the AWP. Depending on the side you are on, these weapons will be the most potent, and you will find yourself using any of these to secure the majority of your kills.

They are reliable, offer high damage, and are very accurate. Of the two rifles, the Ak-47 is arguably better due to its ability to one-shot headshot with a helmet at any distance. The M4 requires two bullets to the head, but it also shines due to its slightly lower recoil. The AWP is a huge investment but can pay off immensely, securing your team entry frags on the T side and effectively holding off an entryway on the CT side.

In any case, if 1 or 2 people on your team are unable to purchase any of the main rifles, you can also do away with purchasing the FAMAS and the Galil-AR, which are basically worse versions of the M4 and the AK but can offer pretty decent performance if used correctly.

You can also buy the SG-553, AUG, and SCAR-20, as they are really strong on full buy rounds. On the T side, you can buy the GSG31, but it comes with great risk, as losing will guarantee that your team will struggle in the following rounds.

Force Buy Round

These are the rounds when the enemy will expect an Eco round from you, or you desperately need to secure the round but do not have enough money to buy the main rifles.

In such a situation, you use all the money you have to get the best loadout you can while going against opponents who have fully bought. The cheaper rifles as discussed above, like the FAMAS and the Galil-AR can effectively take down their superior counterparts if wielded correctly.

Another option for a force buy rounds is the UMP-45 being cheap since it is an SMG. But what sets this SMG apart from the rest is that the gun has very good armor penetration meaning it will be extremely effective against armored opponents.

The SSG-08, MAG-7, P90, and XM1014 can also get you kills against fully buying opponents on these rounds.

So this wraps it up for the best guns in CS:GO and which gun to use in what situation. Remember that CS:GO is a dynamic game; the books do not play every round. So take this advice as a general guideline, and don’t be afraid to mix it up when things aren’t going according to plan.

• Read More: Best Knife Skins in CS:GO

The post Best Weapons in CS:GO 2023: Ranked from Worst to Best appeared first on GameRiv.

Before diving into our top recommendation for gaming mice that are most suitable for CSGO, let’s put some housekeeping out of the way first. Simply purchasing a high-end gaming mouse won’t turn any average joe into a certified fragger, but with proper practice and the right equipment, anyone can perform adequately.

And most of the mouse in our recommended list is wireless to give you that true freedom of tracking your opponents nonstop when they are strafing side to side really fast in CSGO. On top of that, these mice are also going to be extremely lightweight, which will further increase the likelihood of getting those headshots.

Read More: Best Lightweight Wireless Gaming Mouse in Fall 2022

Since CSGO is a tactical shooter with precise gunplay, a mouse that can be stopped on a dime will be ideal. And unlike other FPS games such as Apex Legends and Call of Duty, most players tend to use low to medium sens to get more control over their crosshairs. So, a lightweight wireless gaming mouse is perfect for CSGO.

Top 5 Best Wireless Mouse For CSGO

5. Razer Orochi V2

• Weight:< 60 g(depends on battery)
• Sensor: Razer 5G Advanced Optical Sensor
• Battery Life: Up to 425 hours (2.4Ghz), 950 hours (BLE) with included AA battery
• Buttons: 6
• Right Handed Only
• Switches:2nd-gen Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches

Best Deals: Check at Amazon

Razer introduced Razer Orochi V2 as their most affordable wireless mouse with top-notch performance rivaling its contemporaries from Logitech. On top of that, its eggshell design with a lightweight body and solid sensor from Razer has made it an instant hit among claw grip users worldwide.

Excellent build quality from Razer and fantastic battery life really made it an ideal mouse for most first-person shooter titles that are out there right now. This lightweight eggshell shape is ideal for a tactical shooter game like CSGO, where precise gunplay matters.

In terms of buttons, Razer is using their 2nd generation of mechanical switches instead of their newer laser ones. The clicks are definitely more tactile on these new-gen switches, ideal for FPS games in general. In short, Razer Orochi V2 checks all the right boxes, especially for CSGO. And its competitive price point is definitely worth it for anyone who is looking to try out their first wireless mouse.

Summary:

Pros:

• Great Value For Money
• Great Specs
• Good Shape

Cons:

• Missing Razer’s New Sensor With 4k Polling Rate

4. Pulsar Xlite V2 Wireless

Specifications:

• Weight: 59 gm
• Sensor: PixArt’s LATEST FLAGSHIP PAW3370
• Battery Life: 70 hours
• Buttons: 5
• Right Handed Only
• Switches: Kailh 8.0 GM

Best Deals: Click here

If you have a tight budget, then look no further, as Pulsar has come up with an amazing mouse that will satisfy almost all of your needs. Basically, Pixar somehow managed to build a lightweight wireless mouse featuring all the flagship components like a top-notch sensor, Kailh 8.0 GM switches, 59gm body, great build quality, and satisfactory battery life while also keeping the cost relatively lower than their more expensive contemporaries.

Pulsar really managed to hit this one out of the park. They even managed to implement the famous shape from Zowy in their mouse, which is really ergonomic. So, players who were looking for something more ergonomic will definitely find this offering from Pulsar really interesting.

However, the honeycomb aesthetic might make it not desirable for some as they do tend to get dustier over long terms use. That being said, in terms of price to performance, it is tough to beat what Pulsar has managed to offer at this price point. The feature set is flawless for most grip-style users.

So, in short, if you prefer claw grip and your budget is tight, Pulsar has you covered with this new addition to their lineup. CSGO players will surely fall in love with the ergonomic shape and lightweight aesthetic of this mouse. And the solid value proposition is also great.

Summary:

Pros:

• Great Value For Money
• Great Specs

Cons:

• Low Battery Life

3. Finalmouse Starlight-12

Specifications:

• Weight: Small ~42gm & Medium ~47 gm
• Sensor: Godspeed Wireless
• Battery Life: ~160 hours
• Buttons: 5
• Right Handed Only
• Switches: Kailh 8.0 GM

Best Deals: Click here

Finalmouse kickstarted the lightweight gaming mice movement with their original lineup. And now they are back at it again with a mouse that is built out of Magnesium while also making it extremely light. In short, Finalmouse managed to do the impossible by making a mouse that is both extremely lightweight and solid in terms of build quality. Even though the bottom part of this mouse is plastic, the overall build quality is market-leading.

Also, Keeping up with the competition, their sensor performance is also top-notch while also providing players with great battery life. Also, their amusing shape that supports most grip styles has made this mouse stand out from the competition.

Aside from top-notch specifications, the mouse also managed to garner a cult-like following online. Most of the mouse runs out of stock immediately upon release. Unfortunately, that is the only downside of this great mouse. On top of that, the jaw-dropping price tag has made it impossible for the average joe to get their hands on this mouse without referring to sky-high prices on the second-hand market.

To put it simply, this mouse has become a great option for CSGO players to dominate the lobbies with this lightweight work of art. Even many professional CSGO players chose this mouse as their weapon of choice.

So, if it works for the pros, this might work for you as well. So, take a serious look at this mouse if you are looking to upgrade. This could be your endgame mouse for CSGO.

Summary:

Pros:

• Market Leader in Build Quality
• Amazing shape & lightweight

Cons:

• Expensive
• Availability

2. Razer Viper Ultimate V2 Pro

Specifications:

• Weight: 58 gm
• Sensor: Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor
• Battery Life:
  • Up to 80 hours (constant motion at 1000Hz)
  • Up to 24 hours (with HyperPolling Wireless Dongle, constant motion at 4000Hz)

• Buttons: 5
• Right Handed Only
• Switches: Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3

Best Deals: Check at Amazon

Following the massive popularity of the G Pro X superlight, Razer gave the popular Viper Ultimate lineup another revamp to make it more competitive against its primary rival. Razer took notes from Logitech and cut down the overall weight further than before. However, they didn’t change their original shape.

In short, this iteration of the Viper mouse is great for fingertip users only. Even though players who prefer claw grip can get used to this shape, there are just better options out there right now for those users.

In terms of sensor performance, Razer is utilizing their in-house sensor with the new update that features a class-leading 4000 polling rate that, in theory, gives players a faster and more responsive experience. Aside from the top-notch sensor, the buttons also got a massive upgrade from their previous squishy counterparts.

The new Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 is the most tactile and responsive optical switch that is available on the market right now. A more streamlined design paired with a decent battery life that is comparable to its competitors has made this new iteration from Razer a solid lightweight counterpart to the highly popular G Pro X Superlight from Logitech, especially for fingertip users.

In short, if you are a CSGO player who prefers the fingertip grip to dominate the lobbies, then look no further. This new addition from Razer, with their class-leading performance in polling rate, might be the one.

Summary:

Pros:

• Solid Optical Switch
• Top Notch Sensor Performance

Cons:

• Only viable for fingertip users

1. Logitech G Pro X Superlight

Specifications:

• Weight: 63 gm
• Sensor: HERO
• Battery Life: Constant motion: 70h
• Buttons: 5
• Right Handed Only
• Switches: Omron 20M

Best Deals: Check at Amazon

Even though Logitech wasn’t the brand that revolutionized the gaming mouse market with lightweight gaming mice, they sure did popularize wireless mice with solid performance. And their Flagship mouse, which is basically a lightweight revamp of their original Pro series, has been the choice of top professional players of CSGO.

Aside from its amusing 61gm lightweight body, the mouse is best known for its awesome shape that will accommodate almost every possible mouse grip one can imagine. This mouse basically features a safe shape that can be used by Claw, Palm, Fingertip, and even hybrid grip styles.

Market-leading battery and sensor performance have made this product from Logitech stand out in the sea of wireless mice. The only con that we can think of regarding this masterpiece is probably its charging port, which is a regular USB-C instead of the newer USB-type C cable that is the standard right now.

All of these top-notch features have combined together to make this mouse a solid choice for CSGO players. If you are looking for a mouse to climb the ranked ladder in CSGO or clap noobs in the unrated mode, this mouse from Logitech is at the very top of our recommended list.

Summary:

Pros:

• Flexible shape
• Great Battery Life
• Top Notch Sensor Performance

Cons:

• Lacks USB Type C Port for Charging
• Costly

Read More: Best Low-Cost Compact Wireless Mouse in 2022

These are our top picks for the best lightweight wireless mouse that is available right now on the market. We’ll also keep an eye on the best deals that are available for these mice on e-commerce sites. Also, keep in mind that GameRiv will earn commissions if you decide to purchase through our affiliate links.

The post Best Wireless Mouse for CSGO in Fall 2022 appeared first on GameRiv.

In CSGO’s competitive mode, popularly known as Matchmaking, players can select which maps they queue for. This allows them to pick a map or from a small selection of maps they are interested in playing. This nifty feature helps immensely as you only play the maps you want, although it can lead to higher queue times for unpopular maps at off-peak hours.

• Read More: Popular CSGO Skin Trading Website Gets Hacked, $6 Million Worth Of Skins Have Been Stolen

Most Popular CSGO Maps in Matchmaking

Due to this feature in play, some maps are much more popular than others. Data collected from this gives us a statistical representation of the most popular to least popular maps in CSGO matchmaking. Let’s take a look.

When you ask anyone familiar with CSGO what they think is the most popular map they think is, almost all of them will answer Dust-2. Although this may be true in the past, dust 2 currently sits in 3rd position by a small margin.

The most popular map in CSGO matchmaking at 29.6% of matches played is Mirage. This means almost 1/3rd of all competitive games in the first half of 2022 was played in Mirage!

Coming in at 2nd place is Inferno with 20.7%, just beating Dust-2, which is at 20.5%. This means 2/5ths of all CSGO competitive matches are played in these 2 maps. Just these 3 maps combined account for around 70% of all matches played in CSGO Matchmaking.

In order, the other maps are Nuke, Overpass, Cache, Vertigo, Ancient, and Train. According to Valve’s previous actions, we might see the less popular maps taken out of active duty and replaced with another map in rotation.

• Continue Reading: BIG defeat FaZe Clan 2-1 and are the Champions of Roobet Cup 2022

The post The Most Popular Maps in CS:GO Matchmaking 2022 appeared first on GameRiv.

Valve’s infamous Arms Deal update for CSGO on August 14, 2013, introduced the world to weapon skins. This tactical shooter has never been the same since skin trading has become a massive part of the whole CSGO experience.

Some of these exclusive skin collections can be sold for Million of dollars on third-party sites. Unsurprisingly, hackers also got involved in this trading process due to the massive demand for these skins. Even recently, one CSGO inventory containing $2,000,000+ in skins was allegedly hacked.

Now, a popular skin trading site CS.MONEY has also followed the same path as it was also hacked by bad actors. Apparently, these hackers got access to the trading bots that the website was using to trade expensive CSGO skins.

Read More: BIG defeat FaZe Clan 2-1 and are the Champions of Roobet Cup 2022

CS Money is Down

This one crafty hacker somehow managed to get control of the trading bots and, with the help of approximately 100 fake accounts, got hold of skins worth $ 6 million. Following the attack, CS MONEY stopped its services temporarily and issued a statemeant acknowledging the hack.

CS.MONEY also stated that they are currently working hard to fix the issue, and they also thanked the whole CSGO community for their help in fighting back against these hackers.

The Community is Fighting Back

One dedicated CSGO fan ARROWCSGO started to collect suspicious accounts that are linked with these recent attacks. And has made a list to help CS.MONEY track them down and end this barrage of attacks.

Read More: When will Source 2 Arrive in CS: GO? – Leaks, Release Date, & More

The situation is still developing as of writing. So, we’ll update this article with more up-to-date information as soon as we receive an update from CS.MONEY.

The post Popular CSGO Skin Trading Website Gets Hacked, $6 Million Worth Of Skins Have Been Stolen appeared first on GameRiv.