Counter-Strike storylines we wish had come true in 2023

2023 was full of electrifying storylines in Counter-Strike. CS:GO ended and was replaced by Counter-Strike 2, while Team Vitality won the last Major in front of their home audience in Paris.

Yet, there are still a few storylines we wish had come true in the last 12 months, but unfortunately, they just weren’t meant to be.

Since its launch in 2000, Counter-Strike has brought us dozens of electric and emotional tales. Dynasties and legends were born, overthrown, and cemented in history. Despite being one of the oldest franchises in gaming, the title and its esports scene have been delivering amazing stories each year. 

The case isn’t different in 2023, where Cinderella runs, heartbreaks, and triumphs were present. However, while we should be grateful for a terrific year in Valve’s standout FPS, here are three storylines we wish happened.

A smoother launch for CS2

With CS:GO turning 10 in 2022, it was more than natural for the community to start fantasizing about its successor. The rumors picked up steam at the beginning of 2023, with different personalities coming out with their theories and teases about the potential new game in the series. 

While we’ve been used to those for a while back then, deep down we couldn’t help but hope these rumors would be true. Finally, by the end of March, CS2 was announced, and we couldn’t help but jump from excitement. 

The game finally came out in September. While the community rejoiced and set a new concurrent player record for the franchise (though that was set when the game was in beta), CS2 was all but flawless. Most of its launch issues are still running rampant in CS2, which makes enjoying the game a bit tough currently. 

Too many cheaters, a new “overhauled” tick rate system that hasn’t improved much on the previous one, FPS drops, and tons of bugs are just a few of the issues looking to be addressed. Sure, CS2 is still playable and fun for many players, but we still wish its release and the following months would have been handled differently. Maybe having it in beta for a longer amount of time would’ve been the proper solution, or perhaps it shouldn’t have been announced so soon. There are a lot of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” 

Though, let’s not forget the early days of CS:GO. It also had a buggy release, and in the first years was seen as a downgrade when compared to CS 1.6. Valve developers patched and improved it with time, so we have no reason to think it won’t be the same with CS2. We have our fingers crossed, at least. 

KennyS competes at the BLAST.tv Paris Major

The first CS:GO Major in France was also the game’s last Valve-sponsored tournament before the competitive scene shifted to CS2. The iconic cycle was meeting its end in May, though, we still bid it a perfect farewell. The atmosphere in the Accor Arena was one of a kind, and the only team with two French players—apEX and ZywOo—won the tournament. While we couldn’t have imagined a better sendoff, we wish another French legend participated at the event.

When it comes to Frenchmen in CS:GO, kennyS is arguably the best player from the European country to ever touch the game. Three other players from the European country won two Majors instead of one like KennyS—who led Envy to a DreamHack Cluj-Napoca 2015 Major trophy—but none of them had the carry potential like the renowned sniper. His flicks and reflexes were what made him a one-shot machine. In his prime, he was an undeniable contender for the best player of certain years.

The Magician went on a break at the start of 2021, remained inactive for the majority of it, and the following year only to return in November last year. He had one obvious yet noble goal–qualifying for the first Major in his home country so he could represent France on home soil. He joined Team Falcons, but they fell agonizingly short—first in the RMR, then in the decider a few days later.

KennyS made an appearance on the stage in the Accor Arena in Paris—but instead of competing in front of his home supporters, he announced his retirement from the game and has been focusing on content creation since then. His presence as a competitor on the stage would undoubtedly create a unique atmosphere due to how beloved he is by the French fans. 

Nevertheless, it was a heartfelt moment either way. More importantly, with a Major already under his belt and truly unmatched AWP skills back in the day, he’s gone down in the game’s history as a true legend and said “au revoir” at the best possible time and place.

NiKo finally wins a Major

Of all the players in the GOAT discussion in CS:GO esports, only one of them failed to lift a Major trophy. S1mple and ZywOo have one each, while dev1ce hoisted four of them in what was called the “Astralis era.” There are a few players who should have one in their trophy cabinet looking at their achievements, but, one stands out—NiKo. The Bosnian sadly went down in history as the greatest player to never win a CS:GO Major, despite having numerous chances to do so.

G2 Esports fell flat in the Legends Stage in Paris, going out in 12-14th place. But NiKo competed in 11 other CS:GO Majors, and in two of them was just one step from winning the trophy: ELEAGUE Boston 2018 and PGL Stockholm 2021. 

NiKo has plenty of gold medals, which could make perfect consolation prizes. In the end, not everyone has won IEM Katowice or IEM Cologne, and the Bosnian did so in the same year. But, the 26-year-old is not the type of person to give up on chasing his dreams.  

The prince who never got to be king made a promise to never stand down, so we’re sure he’s going to have many chances in CS2 to claim that desired trophy. The first one is just a couple of months away, as the PGL Copenhagen Major is scheduled for March 2024, with the qualifiers starting in January.