Most Counter-Strike pros are still practicing on CS:GO despite CS2’s imminent release

Although the launch of CS2 is seemingly right around the corner, most of the top teams in the world are still practicing on CS:GO.

CS2 could come out this Wednesday, Sept. 27 following months of the closed beta, but the majority of the pros are still prioritizing CS:GO, according to an HLTV survey published on Sept. 25. The news outlet asked the top 30 teams in the world whether they were scrimming on CS2 or CS:GO and Vitality, Ninjas in Pyjamas, GamerLegion, and Monte are the only ones testing the waters in the upcoming game out of all 20 teams that answered the survey.

Vitality are the best CS:GO team in the world, according to HLTV’s rankings, and could be looking to stay dominant when Counter-Strike esports switches to CS2. NiP, on the other hand, had a subpar performance at IEM Cologne in August and ESL Pro League season 18 in September, and could benefit from focusing on CS2 ahead of time.

This is what the organization did toward the beginning of CS:GO in 2012 and it led to success as the squad of GeT_RiGhT and f0rest won 87 maps in a row on LAN between 2012 and 2013.

ENCE, G2, Heroic, FaZe Clan, Cloud9, Natus Vincere, Fnatic, Apeks, Team Liquid, 9INE, BIG, OG, Complexity, Movistar Riders, 1WIN, and SAW told HLTV they’re still practicing on CS:GO. This goes in line with what s1mple told Dot Esports on Sept. 12 when we asked the NAVI superstar if CS:GO results still mattered.

“Yeah, of course [I care], players started playing more CS2 after Premier, but all players are still practicing CS:GO, they’re doing boot camps,” s1mple said in the interview with Dot Esports, adding there are lots of tournaments left to be played in CS:GO still.

If CS2 is actually released this week, it remains unclear when tier-one tournaments will abandon CS:GO. After ESL Pro League season 18 ends on Oct. 1, the most anticipated events are IEM Sydney in October and the Asia Championships in November.