Counter-Strike 2 received a much-anticipated update on Aug. 31, which invited thousands of new players to the limited test. But most importantly, it also introduced a new matchmaking system.
In CS2, ranking will be divided into two branches: a rank in Premier mode and ranks for each individual map. Many players say Premier will be the primary matchmaking destination, and there are some solid arguments behind that statement.
CS2 Premier mode rating explained
In CS2, players will earn points for winning games in the Premier mode. These points will elevate them in regional seasonal leaderboards. It will be transparent, with players allowed to see how many points they have gained so far in a season. They’ll also be able to compare themselves with friends and other players.
The Premier mode will have MR12, meaning each half will have a maximum of 12 rounds, with teams needing 13 total to win the game. In case there is a 12-12 draw, a six-round overtime will be played.
Differences between CS2 Premier and Competitive
CS2 Premier can, in some ways, can be seen as Competitive+, but there are some key differences between Premier and Competitive. Here are some differences you may want to keep in mind:
| Premier | Competitive | |
| Ranking | CS Rating | CS Ranks |
| Leaderboards | Regional, Global, and Friends | N/A |
| Map Selection | Pick/Ban phase | Map-specific queues |
| Console Damage Reports | Disabled | Enabled |
Who will be able to play in CS2 Premier mode?
The mode will be eligible for players with Prime Status. Additionally, Valve revealed there will be nine different leaderboards in the game, and they go as follows.
- Friends – This leaderboard tracks players on your Friends List.
- World – the top 1,000 players in the world.
- Africa
- Asia
- Australia
- China
- Europe
- North America
- South America
Premier mode has already been in CS:GO for a few years, and it’s the most competitive environment in the game. When choosing Premier, both teams ban maps from the seven currently in the competitive map pool until one is left, similar to professional matches.
CS2 Premier mode rating distribution explained
While there’s no official access to see how rating is distributed among CS2 Premier mode players, some data websites have collected early data.
On Sept. 9, Leetify shared its 10-day data of CS2 rating distribution. From the first glimpse, it’s quite obvious most players have found themselves somewhere between 4,000 and 12,000 points, which is a significant variation when compared to CS:GO, where Legendary Eagle Master had the highest percentage of players.
Still, there are a few factors that easily explain why the first CS2 Premier mode rating looks so far the way it does. Until the release of the data, players only had 10 days to play Premier mode. It means they had to get used to CS2, a new rating, and win at least 10 matches. Given there are still numerous performance issues in the beta, players likely just didn’t have the time and comfort to climb as high as they have done in CS:GO.
CS2 skill group system explained
The current rank system in CS:GO with rankings like Global Elite, Master Guardian, and so on will be transferred to CS2, with some significant changes. For those who don’t want to play Prime mode, the competitive system, where you pick which maps you want to play, will still be in the game.
In CS2, the pre-existing skill groups will be calculated on a map-by-map basis. Each one of them will have its own skill group. For example, if you play and win a lot on Mirage, you can have Global Elite there, but this rank will be specifically for this map.
As a result, a major part of the CS community believes Prime will be the main matchmaking mode in CS2. With its new rating system and the fact it’s the closest to competitive gameplay, we can’t say we feel differently.
