CS2 Ranks and Rating System: How Competitive and Premier Rankings Work

The ranking system in CS2 differs from the one we remember from the times of CS:GO. New players and those who have returned to the game after a long time still don’t know and don’t understand exactly how the rating works in CS2. Today, we will thoroughly explore this topic, explain how it differs from the old system in CS:GO and try to figure out if it has become better or is still worse.

Let’s get started.

Introduction to CS2 Ranks

Let us begin right away with a definition of CS2 ranks. Ranks in CS2 is a special system that distributes players according to their skills and abilities. For example, you have all heard about the legend of esports, Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyljev. And imagine if such a player played against you. What would your chances of winning be?

The CS2 ranking system was created to enhance the gameplay for each player. Thus, stronger players will play with those equal to them in strength and will not be too strong for players with slightly worse skills, and vice versa. Players with fewer skills will not suffer against an opponent who is too strong and will play with pleasure against opponents equal in strength.

That sounds pretty good, right? But is that truly the case? Let’s delve deeper.

Competitive Mode Ranks

In CS2, there are different game modes. The first one is Deathmatch, in which you run and respawn in a random location after each death. There is also Casual mode, where you just play and don’t worry about anything. And there are also Ranked modes, also known as Competitive. Unlike CS:GO, these Competitive modes are split into several variations.

If you recall the ranking system in CS:GO, you might remember the skill groups ranging from Silver 1 to Global Elite, and it didn’t matter which map you played or in which mode. Everyone could see your rank.

The CS2 ranking system has changed a little and has become better because it now earns a rank for each individual map rather than a single rank for all of them. How is this better, you might ask? The answer is simple. For example, if you loved playing only on Dust 2 and knew everything about this map, you would most likely have a higher rank on that map compared to others. However, we’ll delve into this further later.

Moreover, CS2 presents a whole fresh mode known as Premier Mode, which is something quite unusual and creative. So let’s find out more about it in detail.

Premier Mode and CS2 Rating

Premier Mode is an entirely new ranking system in CS2. Instead of the usual CS2 ranks that players are used to, this mode offers a numerical rating system, which starts from 1,000 rating points and goes up to 20,000+.

In this mode, players gain or lose different amounts of rating points depending on whether they win or lose. For example, if you’re playing against an evenly matched opponent, you might gain 100 rating points for a win and lose 100 for a loss.

Or, if you’re playing against an opponent with a slightly higher rating, you could gain around 200 or 300 points for a win and lose only 50 or less for a loss. All of this depends on many different factors.

Map-Specific Rankings

We already mentioned above that in CS2, each player now receives a separate rank for each map, and now it’s time to talk about this in more detail and understand whether this is better or not.

From the perspective of an average player, this is definitely much better. For example, suppose you’ve spent your entire life playing just one map and know everything perfectly. In that case, with timings, grenades, and interesting positions, you can easily achieve a high rank (for example, Global Elite) on that map and play against opponents of your level.

But if you accidentally start a match on a different map or maybe want to try something new and explore other maps, you won’t be matched against Global Elite players who are very strong on that map. Instead, you’ll play against others who also just started exploring and have a lower rank. This is much fairer, as it eliminates a lot of problems.

Additionally, you can even challenge yourself and try to reach Global Elite on every map. Of course, that’s a joke, but why not?

How to Achieve Your First Rank

If you’re wondering how to start playing Competitive Mode in CS2 and how to get your first rating, we already have the answer for you.

It doesn’t matter which mode you choose. In any case, you’ll need to play several matches so the game can calculate your performance and estimate your current rating. Usually, it takes ten wins in a given mode since it’s during victories that players are able to show their best results.

Have you ever lost a match with a 13:0 score? Most likely, yes. To prevent such matches from affecting your stats, Valve only considers your wins. So give it your all, even when it feels like the game is way too easy.

But what exactly determines CS2 ranks? Let’s find out below!

Factors Influencing Rank Progression

The factors that affect ranks in CS2 are actually unknown, as Valve won’t reveal exactly what you need to do in a match to earn the highest rank. However, from a logical point of view, your performance must be among the best.

Here’s a short list of what might influence how your rating is calculated in CS2:

• Number of kills
• Number of assists
• Total damage dealt in the match
• Number of MVPs in rounds
• Number of bombs planted or defused
• Grenade damage
• Kills while the enemy flashed
• Headshot percentage
• High K/D ratio

If you want to achieve a high rating, don’t ignore the bomb. If you see a teammate drop it at the base, pick it up and try to plant it. It’s extra points toward your rating and extra money for your team, even if you lose the round. Also, don’t hesitate to use grenades. They help deal damage from safe positions or take control of key areas on the map.

Try to follow these simple tips, and you’ll start to see your rating rise over time.

Understanding Rank Distribution

With the CS2 ranks update, some players aren’t quite sure what rating in Premier Mode is considered high and what isn’t. For example, if a player has 5,000 rating points, what rank would that be in the old system? Silver IV, Gold Nova III, or maybe even Master Guardian II?

To avoid confusion, let’s take a look at this image, which roughly shows the ratings and their corresponding ranks.

Third-Party Ranking Systems

Apart from CS2 ranks, also special platforms that help players enjoy their favorite game while also earning various rewards. One of the most well-known of these platforms is FACEIT.

With this platform, players can play CS2 using a slightly different ranking system, which is very similar to Premier Mode but with some differences. Here, you can play with your friends, participate in tournaments, and win real prizes. Moreover, over time, on FACEIT, you earn special points that you can exchange for skins.

Quite a few platforms offer similar features, but the most popular and 100% trustworthy one is FACEIT.

Wrapping Up!

A fascinating topic with numerous subtleties and uncharted territory is CS2 ranks. Nonetheless, we hope that this article will allow you to more fully understand the CS2 ranks and how to raise them.

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