The ranking system in CS2 has been revamped from CS:GO, and now incorporates a new rating in Premier mode to assess skill levels.
CS:GO offered a range of ranks for matchmaking, from Silver to Global Elite. However, the criteria for ranking up or down was never clearly defined.
Despite remaining part of CS2, ranks are no longer utilized in Premier Mode. Additionally, in regular competitive mode, ranks are now specific to each map, resulting in a unique rank for each map. In Premier Mode, the focus is solely on one’s rating.
The ranking system for the sequel has been updated to prioritize the ‘CS Rating’ number. This number reflects a player’s visible Elo score and is adjusted according to their wins and losses.
CS Rating Explained in CS2
To initially determine your placement rating, you must win 10 games. Placement ratings start at 1,000 and can go up to over 40,000, depending on the current highest-ranked player. Each 5000 elo is associated with a different color, and we have also provided estimated CS:GO ranks for reference.
| Rating | Color | CS:GO rank equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000-4,999 | Grey | Silver |
| 5,000-9,999 | Light Blue | Gold Nova |
| 10,000-14,999 | Blue | MG – MGE |
| 15,000-19,999 | Purple | LE – LEM |
| 20,000-24,999 | Pink | Supreme – Global Elit |
| 25,000-29,999 | Red | Global Elite |
| 30,000+ | Red | Global Elite |
In this sense, you can consider the color of your rating as your ‘position’. This concept is likely inspired by FACEIT, a third-party platform utilized by numerous CS:GO players, which utilizes a numerical rating system and levels that are comparable to the new CS rating.
As evidenced by data from Leetify, reaching 15,000 elo or higher places you among the top players. As of November 30, 2023, less than 5% of players have achieved this level. Even more impressive, only 0.2% of players have surpassed 20,000 elo.
In terms of existing matchmaking ranks, you can consider these ranks to be similar. For instance, the yellow category is equivalent to Global Elite while the grey category is similar to Silver. However, the distribution of players in each rank is significantly lower in CS2.
If you are familiar with skin rarities, you will likely notice that this color system is also utilized for them, with Red ‘Covert’ skins being of higher quality than Blue ‘Mil-Spec’ skins.
How to improve CS Rating in Counter-Strike 2
In order to increase your rating and advance in CS2’s Premier Mode, winning games is crucial. After obtaining a rating, your individual performance (such as kills and deaths) becomes less significant. Prior to a match, you will be informed of the exact number of rating points that will be gained or lost based on the result.
Nevertheless, there are instances where they do not align. It seems that a string of losses can exacerbate the decrease in elo. Therefore, while initially losing about 100 points per loss, after three or four consecutive losses, a single loss may result in a decrease of over 500 points.
Conversely, if you happen to be on a winning streak, your bonus for winning will increase. This is all part of the plan to help you reach the most fitting rank for your level of skill at a quicker pace.
It is possible that the overall rating of your opponents and teammates will influence the amount of elo you earn or lose. However, Valve has not officially confirmed this, as they have chosen to keep the mathematical calculations of the elo system confidential.
Valve implemented noteworthy modifications to the rating system in an October 10 update.
- Relegation and Promotion matches will only take place at color boundaries, meaning that they will occur every 5,000 CS Rating points.
- The potential win/loss amounts for CS Rating have been increased in order to expedite the calibration process for players.
When your points reach a multiple of 5,000, you will have a promotion/relegation match. For instance, if you reach 15,000 points and lose the match, you will drop down to the 14,000s. On the other hand, if you win, you will either move up to or stay in the 15,000s.
The impact of the elo of your enemies or teammates on the amount of elo you will gain or lose remains unclear.
CS2 Rating Reset
Your rating is subject to change and may occasionally be reset. There are two reasons why ratings will be reset.
If you take a break from playing, your rating will eventually reset to blank. While the exact amount of time required for this to happen is unclear, it typically occurs after a couple of weeks without participating in any competitive matches.
To regain your rating, you must win at least one match in the Premier division.
At the beginning of a new season, the ratings will be reset. Currently, we are still in the first season and the exact start date of the next season is unknown. However, Valve may choose to coincide it with the CS2 Majors.
The CS2 Major in Copenhagen will come to an end in March 2023 as planned.
How Premier Mode Matches Work
Pick & Ban Maps
The Premier mode in CS2 varies from typical competitive matches in several ways. Firstly, it does not allow players to select their desired map(s). Instead, a pick/ban phase is implemented.
The initial team is required to ban two maps, while the second team has the opportunity to ban three maps. Out of the remaining two maps, the first team is responsible for selecting the one to play. This entails the need to be prepared for unfamiliar maps (we’re specifically referring to you, Mirage 24/7 enthusiasts).
In regular Competitive, you still have the option to select the maps you want to play, allowing you to improve your skills on those specific maps. This will help you prepare for Premier matches.
MR12 and Overtime
The abbreviation MR12 is short for Max Rounds 12, representing the maximum number of rounds that can be played in a half. This means that the first half could end with scores like 8-4, 9-3, or 12-0. Once the teams switch sides, the first team to reach 13 rounds will be declared the winner.
If both teams reach 12 rounds, an Overtime will begin. In the Overtime, the team that reaches 16 rounds first will be declared the winner, with three round halves. If the score is tied at 15-15, the match will result in a draw.
If one player leaves your team, matches may be forfeited and now a majority vote from remaining players is needed for the surrender to be successful.
Counter-Strike 2 leaderboards
Counter-Strike 2 features leaderboards that allow you to compare your performance with that of your friends and other players globally.
Leaderboards display a player’s rating, number of wins, and win percentage, along with their ranking percentage among all players.
Leaderboards are starting to populate in Counter-Strike 2! See who’s the best on your friends list, in your region, and around the World. In North America, you’ll see clear differences in skill between players like @JosiahCSGO and aging gamers like @fl0mtv. pic.twitter.com/Ge4O49lrEk
— CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 1, 2023
Your leaderboard region is determined by where you play most of your matches. You can choose to filter by friends, the world’s top 1000, or specific regions such as Africa, Asia, Australia, China, Europe, North America, or South America.
If you are one of the highest ranked players in your region, you must also choose a name for the leaderboard and have it approved. Keep in mind that once your name is selected for the current season, it cannot be altered, so choose carefully!
The first season is currently in progress, and its duration is still unknown.
It is important to note that having Prime Status is a requirement for being eligible for the leaderboards.
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