How To

How To Get Better at CS:GO

When it comes to skill-based first-person shooters, few games possess the notoriety and fan-following that Counter-Strike does. CS:GO has been dominating the FPS scene since 2012 and has remained a benchmark for nearly all subsequent first-person shooter games to meet in terms of engagement and player counts. At the time of writing, the game supports a regular average count of between 500,000 to 600,000 players every month, with peak concurrent player counts between 850,000 and 1,000,000! However, you don’t need statistics to know that CS:GO is a staple of the gaming industry.

A major reason for the game’s continued popularity is its incredibly high skill ceiling. You can sink hundreds of hours into the game and still feel like you’re learning new things and improving every week. The challenging gunplay, vast innovation potential, and endless list of executable strategies mean that the game never ceases to give players new goals to work towards. This means that whether you are a new player or someone already familiar with the basics, you can always use helpful tips and tricks to get better at the game. For example, despite putting nearly 800 hours into the game, I still find useful ways to improve my game from publications on the web such as Exputer.

So, regardless of your prior experience, skill level, and gameplay style, here are some of the best tips that you can make use of to take your CS:GO game to the next level!

Learn Good Crosshair placement

It’s definitely important to be able to snap your aim onto enemies’ heads quickly. But what’s more important is making sure your aim is already there. Good crosshair placement means knowing where your enemy’s head is likely to be when peeking or holding an angle and then making sure that to keep your crosshair positioned there. Obviously, there are various CSGO Crosshair Settings available, so you can go with one. I really just follow what the pro players are already  using.

Know where to place your crosshair

The first step in good crosshair placement is map knowledge. You need to know about the different spots that enemies are likely to be in or appear from on any given map. That, of course, comes with practice. So, make sure to play plenty of the popular playlist maps such as Mirage, Dust 2, and Inferno.

Secondly, make it a practice always to keep your crosshair at head level. This will save you vital milliseconds in an engagement since you won’t need to spend any time moving your crosshair to the enemy’s head. Hence, you can instantly land one of those lethal headshots and wrap up the engagement before your opponent can even get you within their sights.

Peek Farther Away From Geometry

Because of how perspective works, both in real life and in the game, it is always a good idea to hold or peek at angles while standing far away from the wall or geometry that you are peeking from. For example, if you’re peeking from behind a box to watch over a certain angle, you will want to be farther away from the box, as opposed to standing right behind it.

Peek farther away from geometry

This is because the closer you are to a piece of geometry when peeking, the more of your body you will have to expose to get the same line of sight. Conversely, standing away lets you get the same angle while showing less of yourself to the enemy.  

So, what does this mean for your gameplay? Well, for one, always hold or peek angles of walls, doors, or a ramp while being as far away as possible from the object you are peeking from. Secondly, give preference to angles that you know will have enemies appearing very close to the wall. That way, you know that you will have a slight advantage over your opponent since you should get a glimpse of them just before they see you.

Moreover, it is also believed that peeking from the right of any wall is likely to expose less of you than if you peek to the left. So, there’s another tip to keep in mind the next time you decide to check out an angle.

Adopt A Dynamic Playstyle

Despite appearances, CS:GO is as much a mind game as it is a test of your reflexes. Coming out on top can often mean keeping your enemies off-balance and guessing. No, this does not mean making rash plays or becoming ultra-aggressive. What it means is to continuously vary your playstyle from round to round so that the enemy cannot effectively adapt to your plays.

Keep switching up your playstyle

Let’s say that you’re playing CT on Dust 2, and you’re holding A Long Doors. For the first two rounds, you Molotov the entrance of the Long Doors and chuck a nade inside. Now, the next time the Terrorists want to push A Long, they will be sure to play it slow to avoid your barrage of nades. They may also spend plenty of utility such as smoke grenades to counter your expected Molotov. 

However, you decide to adopt a more passive playstyle this time around and simply hold Long Doors from Pit. What you have effectively done is force the Terrorists to waste time and utility. Now, when they finally push with less time remaining, you are likely to catch them off-guard.

Additionally, you should also focus on other aspects, such as holding different angles each round, relocating after getting a kill, and exploring new flanking opportunities. All of these work in tandem to create an air of unpredictability around your playstyle and force the enemy to constantly readjust.

The importance of a dynamic playstyle is something you will repeatedly encounter when going through CS:GO guides on sites such as Exputer. It is a simple yet incredibly effective strategy to always keep the enemy on their toes and give yourself the upper hand.

Learn Maps For Angles And Callouts

CS:GO has maintained such a high skill ceiling for all those years because of the incredible diversity and play potential in each of its maps. From various pushes to hiding spots so many effective angles, there is always something new to learn on each map. Therefore, practice, practice, and practice! Be sure to keep a balanced map rotation in your playlist, including some of the most-played maps such as Dust 2, Mirage, Inferno, and Cache.

When playing on these maps, you need to look out for two things in particular. Firstly, keep an eye out for any new peeks or angles that your teammates, or even your enemies, may use to get a leg-up. Afterward, try using these yourself in the next round or the next game! By doing so, you are bound to learn newer and better ways to hold certain spots and to push specific sites.

Learn the names of different areas

Secondly, always keep watch on the top-left of your screen, right next to the mini-map. This is where you can see the name of the area that you’re currently in. Communication is key when it comes to higher ranks in CS:GO, and for effective communication, you absolutely need to know the names of common areas, spots, and angles.

You can also learn new angles and area names by loading up the map in offline mode and roaming it yourself. Additionally, there are interactive versions of these maps online that let you learn some of the most popular callouts on each map.

Master More Than One Weapon

CS:GO is not known for its weapon variety. The game features a few prominent weapons, such as the AK-47, the M4A4, the M4A1-S, and the AWP, which see the bulk of the gameplay. Other weapons are sparsely used and are usually relegated to eco rounds or troll plays. However, it is a good idea to master one or two other weapons as well.

For one, mastering weapons such as the P90, the MP9, and the MP7 can give you viable combat when you aren’t doing too well economy-wise. These are decent weapons that can be absolutely deadly in the right hands. These weapons also feature much more controllable bullet spread when moving, which means that you don’t always have to stand still when taking your shot. That isn’t something you can say for most weapons in CS:GO.

Make use of these less popular yet deadly weapons

Another reason to have alternative options is that some of these weapons actually give you more money for getting kills with them. For example, where getting a kill with the AK-47 nets you $300, doing so with an MP9 will get you $600. In fact, shotguns such as the Sawed-Off and the Nova reward you with $900 for every kill you achieve with them. This means that if you can learn to play to the strength of these weapons, you can quickly rake in some cash and improve your economy.

Watch Pro League Matches

It’s always a good idea to learn from the best in the business. Therefore, if you want to level up you’re your running-and-gunning game, make a habit of watching some ESL Pro League matches every now and then. These Leagues are home to the highest level of play and often have a significant impact on the game’s meta, regardless of which skill group you’re playing in.

Pro League matches are a great place to learn

As such, by witnessing some of the best players in the world in action firsthand, you can learn some good habits and keep yourself updated with the latest strategies and plays which you can instantly use in your own games. Not to mention, these high-stakes games are often thrilling to watch by themselves and can contain some mind-boggling pro plays.

Learn grenade spots

Grenades are by far the most useful pieces of utility in your arsenal. Unlike in more run-and-gun-styled games such as Call of Duty, grenades play an integral part in any CS:GO match. They can be vital in blocking lines of sight, slowing down pushes, rendering the enemies blind, or simply blowing it all to kingdom come!

It stands to reason, then, that learning about the best grenade spots on different maps can give your game a massive boost! You can find a plethora of such grenade spots guides on sites such as Exputer. These guides will often contain step-by-step instructions on how to execute each grenade throw, plus details on where the grenade will land and what effect it is likely to have on the round.

Learn some great nade spots

Therefore, give these grenade spots a try in your own game, and you are sure to feel a considerable improvement in your game!

Players have been asking what the greatest smoke placements are since the legendary Dust 2 map was updated in CS: GO. While some of the previously utilised smoke sites stayed the same, CS: GO players had to make minor changes to a few others. This was due to changes in the environment’s elevation or the presence or removal of inanimate things. The five finest smoke spots Dust 2, CS:most GO’s popular map, will be detailed in this post. You can go to YouTube as well, but these are the most in-depth I could find which are from eXputer.

Mid to B Smoke

The terrorists must block off the CTs hunkered down in CT Spawn in CS:Dust GO’s 2 in order to carry out a Mid to Bombsite B push. To accomplish so, a player must first go on the XBOX platform, as demonstrated in various YouTube videos, you can check them out later. Then they must properly align the crosshair, which you may learn how to accomplish by watching numerous tutorials. After aligning up the crosshair, the player only needs to perform a leap throw to complete the perfect smoke for Mid to B.

CT is passing through a cloud of smoke.

It requires a lot of experience and accuracy to execute the CT smoke since it relies on how long the player runs before tossing the smoke grenade. First, the gamer must locate this tile in A Long. Then, before tossing it, players must line up the crosshair with the roof immediately over the golden tooth insignia and execute a short run.

A Short Smoke to T Spawn

To do this smoke, the player must tuck oneself into a nook near T Spawn, as illustrated in various YouTube videos, you can check them out later. The CS: GO player must then align the crosshair and do a running leap throw, and the smoke will appear to obscure the terrorists’ approach to A Short.

XBOX smoke

The XBOX spot is the famous box lying beside the catwalk when heading down T Ramp towards mid doors in CS: GO’s Dust 2 map, which allows players to effortlessly leap up to A Short. Countless CS:GO players have paid the price for trying to enter into A Short from Top Mid without it. To make this smoke, the player must first move outside of Long Tunnels and towards Top Mid, where their crosshair may be aligned with the left side of the arching shadow. Then they must look to the right, set their crosshair in this location, and simply spew smoke.

A long smoke

To stop a terrorist from flooding the area, a player can generally reach A Long far faster than a terrorist. As a result, it’s usually a good idea to lay down a smoke grenade to effectively deny counter-terrorists the initial look and give entry-fragging terrorists the upper hand. To do so, the player must first enter the deep tunnels and make their way to the left corner near the exit. The player only has to leap and toss the smoke grenade after that. Also, let’s take a look at my favourite CSGO Tips now that you are here.

Use aim practice maps or software

Let’s be honest: you can learn all the angles, adopt all the best strategies, and utilize amazing grenade spots, but at the end of the day, the thing that will seal the deal is your ability to put bullets on target. In a game like CS:GO, your aim is vital. Not only should you be able to quickly snap onto targets, but you also need to learn your weapon’s recoil pattern, and how to counter it. Good aim is one of the biggest differentiating factors between great and mediocre players. However, instead of just saying git gud, let me give you a few pointers.

The web is filled with resources you can use to better your aim. One of the most popular ones is Aim Lab, a small game specifically designed to help you get the best aim you can. It features comprehensive and varied training regimes that can help you better different aspects of your aim, such as executing flick shots and tracking strafing targets. Moreover, the trainer also provides you with detailed statistics and insights to visualize your progress and also lets you pit your stats up against top players from around the globe.

If you don’t feel comfortable using external software, there are also many community-created maps in CS:GO that you can download from the Steam Workshop to train your aim. Some of the ones I find best are Aim Botz and CSGOHUB. These maps let you work on things such as short and long flicks, wide and short peeks, 360-degree aiming, recoil control, and so much more. They also feature very friendly user interfaces and give you a plethora of options to tailor the training experience to your exact needs.

Training maps like Aim Botz are a great place to brush up your aim

Conclusion

All in all, getting better at CS:GO is a long journey filled with times of disappointment and moments of gratification. But by following these tips along with some informative guides from places like Exputer, you can considerably improve your game and have plenty of fun in the process. No, we don’t guarantee pro-tier status, but it will definitely help you reach the best version of a player that you can be!

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