Why CS2 needs a ranked leaderboard

The likely soon release of whatever Counter-Strike 2 is supposed to be, whether it’s a significant overhaul featuring the implementation of Source 2 or even an entirely new game, can potentially shake up the massive Counter-Strike scene tremendously, and even the tactical shooter ecosystem as a whole.

Based on the initial reporting from veteran journalist Richard Lewis, CS2 will be getting two long-awaited features in 128-tick server rates and an updated matchmaking experience, along with who knows what other changes. But the list of features to be implemented shouldn’t stop there.

What CS2 really needs is a ranked leaderboard.

Why does CS2 need a ranked leaderboard?

Compared to almost every other multiplayer title with a ranked/competitive mode, the current CS:GO competitive mode is arguably the least rewarding of all. Outside of the triumph of winning a match and the thrill of climbing skill divisions, which every meaningful ranked game has, there are no real tangible rewards to playing competitive in CS:GO.

Games like Modern Warfare 2 and League of Legends offer a trove of notable in-game rewards for playing and competing in ranked, including special ones for those who climb to higher tiers. Even VALORANT, CS:GO‘s direct competitor, offers something to ranked players outside of just a gun buddy each act: the ranked leaderboard.

The ranked leaderboard is truly the top tier of the ranked ecosystem. For those who want more than to just be called Radiant in VALORANT, it’s a ladder for them to climb to definitively say “I am currently one of the top X players in my region in this game.” To the game’s most dedicated, it’s the scratch of a competitive itch, and a chance for bragging rights.

But it’s also an opportunity. For amateur players looking for tier-two or even tier-one opportunities in VALORANT, it’s a chance to draw attention from interested teams. Being Radiant alone won’t get a player noticed, but being a top-20 player in North America with a high volume of maps played could.

In the current state of CS:GO, that opportunity isn’t present. Players with pro aspirations have to seek out teams or teammates on their own with far less to work with, and it is much harder to draw attention even with a Global Elite skill tier distinction. Without a ranked leaderboard, there’s also far less motivation for players to continue playing traditional matchmaking once they reach Global Elite.

The lack of rewarding feelings playing ranked is one of the major reasons why third-party CS:GO matchmaking programs have become successful. If the goal is to bring those players back in-house, and it looks like it is based on what’s reportedly being added, then a ranked leaderboard is vital to convincing players to stick solely to official matchmaking in CS2.