Much like any other first-person shooter game, getting better at CS:GO is all about learning. Professionals train up to eight hours a day to perfect their skills to win more gunfights. If you want to do the same, should you be putting in the hours?
The time you invest in learning various game mechanics will result in getting better at the game. But there are a few things to focus on to help you get even better. Here are the six tips everyone should know about.
Learn the Weapon Patterns
Unlike many other FPS games, the weapons in CS:GO have a shooting pattern. Namely, each gun has its own way of firing when spraying. If you’re using an AK and shooting in fully automatic mode, you will notice a spray pattern. The same goes for the M4 and the silenced M4. So right out the bat, the spray pattern is something you should try to understand more if you want to get better at it.
Identify A Main Weapon
Professionals in CS:GO are versatile with every gun. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a main weapon, a favorite. For example, KennyS, one of the most popular AWP-ers in the eSports scene, mains the AWP. You could make a case that Kenny isn’t as good with an AK or M4 as with an AWP.
So for this second tip, you need to find which weapon you’re most comfortable with and become a master. No doubt there are 4 weapons that gamers use the most. Those are the Desert Eagle, the AWP, the AK-45, and the M4A1 (both variations).
These four weapons are at the center of CS:GO. They’re the most powerful weapons, and they’re usually considered a “Full Buy.” But that doesn’t mean you need to use these four. There are tons of other weapons in the game that can be just as fun and powerful to use. Take the XM1014 – automatic shotgun – for example. It is cheap, reliable, and can wreak havoc. More so, each XM1014 kill grants you more money than the AWP or any other rifle.
Learn How To Use Grenades
Grenades are an important part of CS:GO. Grenades fall under the utility category, meaning grenades are mostly used for support or to flush out an enemy from a trenched position. Professional teams come up with new grenade strategies all the time. The community then tries to learn these strategies and implement them into their own games. You need to do the same.
But before you learn how to flush out the AWP from goose on Dust 2, you need to know exactly how and when to use them. To do that effectively, you need to learn the grenade spots on each map. CS:GO has dozens of maps, but it’s safe to say that only a few are played by pros. Because of that, here is a list of best grenade spots on Dust 2 to try out next time you’re playing the popular map.
Listen To Sound
In FPS games, sound is one of the most important game mechanics. Granted, it’s not as important as in other games such as Escape From Tarkov or Rainbow Six Siege, but sound will be the difference between winning and losing.
As such, you need to understand that sound can be a tool to use against the enemy. You’ve probably seen why professionals “shift walk” before entering the A or B bomb site. That’s because they don’t want to alert the enemy that they’re preparing to launch an attack and seize the site.
You need to do that as well. Listen for sound and learn how to use sound to your advantage. Not many people pay attention to sound in CS:GO as all they care about is storming the site with an AK or trying to take out the AWP from long on A site.
Choose A Map, and Stick With It
As mentioned previously, CS:GO has many maps that you need to become proficient in all if you want to play with the very best in the game. But for starters, you need to master a few. Don’t go out and shuffle new maps. Chances are, you’ll play against players that are much more familiar with that map. This means they know where to go, how to breach the site, grenade spots, etc.
So the tip about map knowledge is to be patient, as learning all the maps takes time. Each map has its own strategy, its own “callouts”, and grenade spots. Take the time to master the easy ones like Dust 2 or Mirage before moving to more complex maps like Cobblestone or Overpass.
When it comes to getting better at CS:GO, map knowledge is just as important as knowing how to shoot with an AK-47. What good is your AK if you’re not holding the proper angles?
Communication Is Key
At the end of the day, even Simple can’t solo the game. CS:GO is a team-based game. You play with four other players, and you need to communicate to win each game. Without communication, you’re much more likely to lose than win. So you’ll need to learn how to communicate.
Communication in CS:GO involves things like sharing positions, informing other players of enemy movement, and coordination to make the strategy work. It might sound simple, but it’s far from it. A miscall or bad info can result in losing the round and even the game. So the last tip is all about being effective when not shooting or doing anything.
