CS2 Rank Guide: The CS2 Ranking System Explained
Counter-Strike 2 is the latest iteration of one of the biggest online titles which came into existence decades ago. It takes the mantle from its predecessor which stood the test of time for the past 10 years and brought the game to heights never seen or imagined. These are large shoes to fill, but CS2 has the luxury of having experienced developers at the helm, inheriting a player-base comprised of over a million players, one of the largest e-sports scene, and skins that are valued at over USD 4.5 billion and counting. These factors have also resulted in a huge flow of new players joining in on the action.
One of the biggest contributors to the success of Counter-Strike has been its competitive nature, where players are forced to improve on various facets of the game to get to higher ranks. The ranking system as a result has always been an integral part of the title, matching people on a similar skill level to ensure balanced competition and rewarding consistency.
With Counter Strike 2, Valve has either reworked, upgraded, or completely overhauled the various aspects of the game, and the ranking system is no exception to this. Whereas previously players would be given one of eighteen different ranks in Competitive Matchmaking and Wingman modes, with Danger Zone having its own distinct ranks, CS2’s rankings now follows a different system.
Under the new ranking system, players now get a separate ranking for Competitive matchmaking and Premier modes. If you’re aiming to reach a certain rank in CS2 or simply looking to climb the Premier ladder to reach the highest levels of play, it’s essential for you to have an in-depth understanding of the CS2 ranks, and the mechanics surrounding the system. We bring you this guide specifically for this reason so read on to find out more.
The CS2 Premier Mode Explained
Before we get to explaining the ranking system, let’s first take a look at what the Premier mode is, and what it brings with it. If you have an account upgraded to Prime status, you can get yourself into Premier Matchmaking, a mode which distinguishes itself from Competitive matchmaking in a number of different ways. To start off, players don’t pre-decide on the map, which is instead chosen by the teams on the basis of elimination. For instance, Team A starts off by banning two maps from the active map pool, after which Team B bans three of them. Then, Team A bans one more map from the remaining two, which decides the map which is going to be played.
MR12
You may have been familiar with the 15 round per half from your old days playing CS. That has been done away with completely and now replaced with the MR12 (Max Rounds 12) system. This equates to 12 rounds per half, and 24 total rounds per match. Teams getting to 13 won rounds first end up winning the match. In cases where a match concludes at a 12-12 tie, an overtime is initiated which gives 3 extra rounds per half for a total of 6 rounds. The team which reaches 16 rounds first wins, and in case of another tie at 15-15, no further overtimes are given.
Leaderboards
For the first time in the history of Counter-Strike, the Premier mode in CS2 has introduced Leaderboards. These are meant to be seasonal and will be reset at the end of each season. There are 9 different Leaderboards in the game, which are listed below:
| Leadeboard | Description |
|---|---|
| Friends | Ratings of players in your friend list |
| World | Top 1000 players in the World |
| Africa | Top 1000 players in the African region |
| Asia | Top 1000 players in the Asian region |
| Australia | Top 1000 players in Australia |
| China | Top 1000 players in China |
| Europe | Top 1000 players in Europe |
| North America | Top 1000 players in the North American region |
| South America | Top 1000 players in the South American region |
The CS2 Premier Mode Rating System
Counter-Strike 2 brings with it a fresh take on the ranks, at the heart of which is the new Rating System for the Premier matchmaking mode. Players get their initial rating after winning 10 matches in the Premier mode. As you win or lose matches, the numerical elo rating goes up or down, and gives players a transparent display of their performance. The elo rating numbers range from 0 at the lowest, going all the way up to 40,000. These numerical ranges are further distinguished by colors which are similar to those used in signifying weapon rarities. The table below illustrates these points for more clarity:
| Elo Points | Color | Estimated Equivalent Legacy Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 4,999 | Grey | Silver 1 - Silver 3 |
| 5,000 – 9,999 | Light Blue | Silver 4 - Silver Elite Master |
| 10,000 – 14,999 | Blue | Gold Nova 1 - Gold Nova 3 |
| 15,000 – 19,999 | Purple | Gold Nova Master - Master Guardian 2 |
| 20,000 – 24,999 | Pink | Master Guardian Elite - Legendary Eagle |
| 25,000 – 29,999 | Red | Legendary Eagle Master - Supreme Master First Class |
| 30,000+ | Gold | Global Elite |
CS2 Competitive Matchmaking Ranks
In Counter-Strike 2, the single overall rank has been done away with. Under the new system, you now earn a rank for each separate map in the Active Duty map pool, achieved by winning 10 Competitive matches. So if you are good on Mirage, for instance, and your winning percentage on this map is high, you might have a higher rank on it. Similarly, if you are not good at another map, lets say, Nuke, you might end up getting a lower rank for it.
This map based ranking promises to be a better way of matching players in the Competitive mode, since general gameplay skills alone are not enough to be able to win, but a good understanding of the map you are playing on is also important. As such, you can no longer expect to be matched against players who are experts at a map you rarely play. The map-specific ranks for CS2’s Competitive matchmaking mode are as follows, starting with the lowest:
- Silver 1 (S1)
- Silver 2 (S2)
- Silver 3 (S3)
- Silver 4 (S4)
- Silver Elite (SE)
- Silver Elite Master (SEM)
- Gold Nova 1 (GN1)
- Gold Nova 2 (GN2)
- Gold Nova 3 (GN3)
- Gold Nova 4/Gold Nova Master (GN4/GNM)
- Master Guardian 1 (MG1)
- Master Guardian 2 (MG2)
- Master Guardian Elite (MGE)
- Distinguished Master Guardian (DMG)
- Legendary Eagle (LE)
- Legendary Eagle Master (LEM)
- Supreme Master First Class (SMFC)
- Global Elite (GE)
Note: The Wingman mode uses the same ranks as those in Competitive Matchmaking.
How To Get Your First CS2 Rank
If you’re looking to get your first rank in CS2, buying yourself a Prime upgrade is compulsory. Non-prime players can still play unranked matches to test out their skills before opting for the prime upgrade.
If you already have the Prime upgrade, you’re all set to start your competitive journey in CS2. To get your first CS2 rank, all you need to do is win ten matches in Premier mode to determine your rating, which will progressively increase or decrease as you win or lose matches, respectively.
On the other hand, for Competitive matchmaking, you have to win ten matches on a particular map to unlock your rank for it.
How To Rank Up Faster In CS2
It goes without saying that the biggest contributor towards rank-ups is winning games. Winning streaks positively impacts your elo rating and losing streaks results in lowering it, but at the same time, another aspect of the system is that you have to be consistent with your performance. The GLICKO-2 system, which is part of CS2’s competitive matchmaking, adds to this by introducing another variable, rank volatility. In layman’s terms, performing awfully in one game and getting 40 kills in the very next match increases your rank volatility. This is why you need to be able to play consistently in your competitive games.
Another key element to ranking up faster in CS2 is to avoid binge queuing. Instead of playing 10 competitive games in a single day, focus on playing one to two games per day in a consistent manner. The reason for this is that the more games you play in a row, the less the games count towards increasing or decreasing your rank. This is exactly why many players often report not ranking up even after lots of consequent wins - they’re playing them all in a short span of time.
Now with the technical aspects of ranking up out of the way, you need to actually improve in CS2 to rank up fast, and that won’t happen in a day. Here are some tips that will help you improve your gameplay and make ranking up much easier for you.
Improving Your CS2 Skill
Improving your skill is essential in order to rank up consistently. We’ve gathered to most important aspects which help you to master the game. Let’s get right into it!
Game Sense
Game sense is undoubtedly the most crucial skill that a CS2 player can have in order to be able to rank up easily and efficiently. This is also one of the hardest skills to teach and can only be learned by playing the game itself. As you keep on playing more and more, you’ll learn to predict enemies’ behaviors, make clever rotations, and become a much better overall player as you climb the ranks.
Aim
CS2 is a shooter, and aiming is an integral part of any shooter you’ll ever play. It’s a skill that’s non-optional for any CS2 player to pick up and as you find yourself ranking up, the more you’ll be needing this skill to be able to win duels. Good crosshair placement and the ability to land consistent headshots are the key things you should focus on while learning to aim properly in CS2.
Spray Control
Let’s face it, no matter how good your aim is, you’re not gonna be able to dink your enemies with every single bullet you fire, which is why most automatic rifles in CS2 have unique spray patterns to compensate for their recoil. These spray patterns can be quite difficult to learn, but once mastered can lead to some incredibly rewarding plays. Whether you’re using the AK-47, M4A4 or the M4A1-S, learning their sprays can go a long way in helping you win gunfights.
Bad Habits
You may know it or you may not, but chances are that you possess one or more bad habits that are holding you back from ranking up in CS2. These bad habits can be as simple as reloading after firing a few bullets or rotating too early from bombsites. The more bad habits you have, the more you’ll get punished in higher ranks as a result of those. A good way to identify your bad habits is through analyzing your replays. Try to set apart an hour each day to look through your competitive replays and figure out what you’re doing wrong.
Warmup
I can’t stress this enough, but always make sure that you’re warmed up before hopping onto a competitive game. No matter which rank you are, you should play at least 30 minutes of deathmatch before queuing for a ranked game. Launching CS2 and immediately starting a competitive game is never a good idea, since your enemies are more than likely to be warmed up ahead of the game which will give them a significant edge in the first few crucial rounds of the match.
Utilities
If you’re having a bad game and can’t seem to win aim duels against your opponents, utilities are your best friends. Utilities in CS2 include smokes, flashes, grenades, and Molotovs that players should use to get a tactical edge over their opponents. There are also certain lineups for utilities that players can learn to make site executions and retakes much easier. You can always look up some tutorials for these online or hop in a custom game and create your own lineups that’ll enable you to take your gameplay to the next level.
Summary
Now that you know what you should and should not do to rank up fast in CS2, here’s a quick TL;DR of the key things that you should keep in mind while queuing for your next ranked game:
- Don’t binge queue ranked games. Stick to one or two games per day.
- Focus on performing consistently in your games.
- When you’re not playing a game, focus on refining and improving your CS2 skills.
- Learn utilities and use them to gain an edge over your opponents in combat.
- Take your time to learn the spray control of the arsenal of weapons in CS2.
- ALWAYS warm up ahead of your ranked games.
CS2 Rating System FAQ
For your convenience, we’ve compiled a few important questions regarding the CS2 rating system, and delivered the answers.
How many games should I play to get an elo rating in CS2 Premier mode?
You need to win 10 matches to get your first rating in the CS2 Premier mode.
How many games should I play to get a rank in CS2’s Competitive mode?
You need to win 10 matches on a particular map to get your rank for that particular map in CS2’s Competitive Matchmaking mode.
Do I need a Prime account to get a rating in CS2?
Yes, you won’t be able to play Premier or Competitive modes in Prime matchmaking with a non-prime account, and won’t get a rank unless you upgrade to a Prime account.
How do I get myself on the Premier Leaderboard?
If you have the Prime account status upgrade, your best bet is to continue to win matches in Premier mode, until your rank is among the top 1000 players in the region you are residing in.
How many games do you have to win to rank up in CS2?
There isn’t a fixed number of games you have to win to rank up. It depends on different variables as mentioned earlier in the article.
What’s the highest and lowest rank in CS2?
In Counter-Strike 2’s Premier mode, the lowest elo rating range is from 0 - 4,999, while the highest is 30,000+. In competitive matchmaking, the lowest map ranking is Silver 1, while the highest is Global Elite.
How to check my CS2 rating?
In the middle of the Main Menu screen, in the foreground of your equipped agent, you can see your profile name, icon, the progress bar to the next level, and your Premier elo rating.
What is the average rank in CS2’s Premier matchmaking?
The average rating in CS2 premier matchmaking is currently 8 - 9k, which is equivalent to ranks ranging from Gold Nova to Master Guardian. However, in the long run, this rating may continue to shift.
How to check someone else’s CS2 rating?
If the player is in your friends’ list, you can simply click on their name in the main menu to check their rating. If you’re in a game and you wish to check someone’s rank, you can use third-party websites like CS Stats.
Why can’t I rank up in CS2?
You’re probably playing a lot of games in a short span of time. To rank up faster, focus on getting consistent performance while playing 1 or 2 games per day. And remember, CS2 is a team game where the objective is to win the match. This will be the biggest determinant in increasing your rating, even more so than your kill count.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our comprehensive guide to Counter-Strike 2’s new ranking system. We hope that you now have a thorough understanding of the new rating system for Premier mode, the ranks in the Competitive matchmaking mode, how to get your first rank in the game, and ways that’ll help you do it faster. Make sure you continue to dedicate time to improve on your skills, and soon enough there will be no stopping you from climbing up the global ranking charts.
Best of luck, we hope that your Competitive journey is a fruitful one.
