Compared to other FPS games, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can be tough to learn. But, once players get the basics down and start improving, it can be a rewarding experience. This guide will teach players everything they need to know before getting started, offering tips and tricks to help them get better in no time.

All Weapons Have Their Own Unique Recoil Patterns – Learn Them

One of the biggest mistakes that new players can make is jumping right into the game without first learning weapon recoil patterns. They frequently find themselves spraying away at opponents, expecting their bullets to hit where their crosshair is. But because each weapon has a unique recoil pattern, players find their bullets don’t land where they expect. This leads to frustration and ultimately causes them to develop bad habits. These habits are harder to overcome once they learn how each weapon works. There are multiple practice maps available on the Steam workshop which teach proper spray control and provide feedback to help players improve.

Eventually, through practice, gamers will develop muscle memory associated with each weapon. Reaction time has a lot to do with muscle memory. Players with strong muscle memory will suddenly find themselves hitting targets at much faster speeds than reaction tests will claim. CS:GO players begin reacting to the target rather than thinking about it appearing on their screen, which is what happens during most reaction tests.

It’s All In the Numbers – The CS:GO Economy

Aside from spray patterns and movement mechanics, another challenging aspect of CS:GO is its money system. While most similar FPS games allow players to pick any weapon no matter how many times they’ve been defeated, CS:GO works differently. Each weapon and item used in the game has a set price. At the start of each competitive round, players receive set amounts of money based on whether they won or lost the previous round. The game awards additional cash to each player based on the number of enemies they eliminated during the last round. The reward differs depending on the type of weapon used, with SMGs and shotguns being the best options during low buy rounds as they award the most income per defeated opponent.

Players need to watch not just their own income, but also that of teammates because it dictates whether players should save during any given round. Additionally, players should track opponents’ economy as this helps to determine what kind of buy they might have in a given round. Ultimately, this can help a player determine how to approach the next game. For example, a player that knows their opponents don’t have enough money for rifles or AWPs can force them to take fights at a distance. This then offers an advantage in 1v1 duels.

Find The Right Resolution

It might seem trivial, but players who start playing at a resolution that isn’t right for them can later experience challenges that will cause them to struggle to improve. CS:GO relies heavily on players’ reaction times. While a higher resolution might make the game look better overall, it isn’t ideal for people with bad eyesight. As resolution within the game increases, the perceived size of player models decreases, making it more difficult for those with vision trouble to see or hit their targets at a distance. Not only does this cause eye strain after prolonged periods of play, but it also lowers reaction time. It takes players’ brains longer to process enemy locations within a map.

While the ideal resolution for each person is different, those will poor eyesight are better off selecting a resolution that can be stretched. These stretched resolution formats increase the size of player models on screen. It’s important to note that while the perceived size of player models grows, the actual hitbox associated with them does not. Furthermore, playing in stretched will feel a bit unnatural at first as lateral movement speed will increase. Practice each suggested resolution within deathmatch servers firs, before attempting to play competitively.

Suggested Resolutions

1280 X 1024 4:3 Stretched

1280 X 768 4:3 Stretched

1024 x 768 4:3 Stretched

800 x 600 4:3 Stretched

Communication Is Key

Before joining competitive games, players should have mics. The difference between winning or losing comes down to a matter of seconds. Typing out enemy locations takes much longer than calling them out on the mic. As such, typing could ultimately cost the team the round. The faster a player can relay information, the easier it will be for the team to react to a given situation and prepare themselves.

In addition to being able to relay information, players must also be able to pinpoint where enemies are on a given map using well-known callouts. For example, saying that someone is “on B” or “on A” doesn’t help teammates narrow down where to check when attacking or retaking a site. Learning the different callouts for maps will help gamers quickly relay enemy positions and give teammates the best chance of winning. Here’s a detailed breakdown of all CS:GO callouts.

Additional Tips/Tricks

Give callouts upon elimination.

Never complain. It doesn’t help the team and it wastes valuable time.

Be an active spectator. Call out enemy positions and relay any and all additional information to your teammates.

Buy and save with the team to keep the economy balanced.

Call out where playing on the counter-terrorist side so teammates know where the enemy is, especially in the event of an elimination.

Learn proper grenade tactics for all maps. Grenades are an important part of CS:GO. With proper usage of them, players can win rounds they would otherwise have lost.

Use sound cues to disorient enemies. Throwing grenades and pulling their pins relay sound cues. The player should do these actions away from where they intend to throw the grenade as this will still relay the sound cue to the enemy. This can then cause the enemy to turn away, especially in the case of a flashbang grenade.

Learn to keep the crosshair at head level. Headshots do the most damage. Keeping the crosshair at head-level will help players develop good muscle memory.

Turn away from flashes so as not to get blinded.

Crouch walk at times when it’s important to remain silent so as not to attract enemy attention.

Pay attention to enemy tracers through the smoke and shoot at them.

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