Valve is more than happy to oblige

It’s as though the voices of thousands of AWPers cried out all at once, and were suddenly silenced—the C-Zed has been brought low from it’s mighty perch. While the community was previously rife with dissidents who despised the initial form of the almighty pistol, they have since been replaced by a chorus lamenting how ineffectual the gun has become. There seems to be no middle ground, as far as Valve is concerned—either the CZ-75 is to be the best eco weapon Counter-Strike has ever seen, or it is to be forgotten for lack of situational uses.

Is this what we asked for?

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From the top to the bottom

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To be certain, it continues to pack a punch. The fire rate means that it’s still a force to be reckoned with, but the reduced magazine size and slower reload animation means that you have to be more cautious with your sprays. Thankfully Valve saw fit to maintain the total ammo count for the CZ, which means that you now have three clips instead of two, for the same total of 24 shots. The animation for drawing it has been slowed as well, which means that its use as a “pocket rifle” for AWPers to defend themselves with in close quarters is no more.

The nerf is nearly two weeks old as of this writing. The metagame has had plenty of time to shift in response to the change, and as for me personally, the CZ-75 has gone from a common feature of every match to a mythological beast. Sightings are few and far between, with only a few blurry photos remaining which claim to be proof of it’s existence.

Oh, there’s one right up there. You saw it here first, folks!

But seriously, as often as I found myself at the wrong end of a CZ-75 rush that completely decimated my fully equipped stack of teammates, I’m still a little disappointed. The Desolation of AUG was an entirely separate matter, but the end result of that debacle was that a formerly underutilized gun was given new life. The CZ nerf means that there are really no winners, except for those profoundly frustrated by it’s presence.

Professional players like JW and the members of team LDLC are going to have to rethink key strategic purchases without the CZ-75 to fall back on. Props to Valve for keeping a finger on the pulse of the community, but unless the CZ emerges from this cocoon with a few more tweaks under its belt, then the nerf may ultimately prove to be a step backward in balancing.

Come back next Monday for another editorial on e-sports!
Articles posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Until next time, keep fragging!

It’s about sending a message

Since Counter-Strike: Global Offensive went live to the public in August of 2012, Valve has adopted their usual stance of radio silence on all future updates. This has proven to be both as blessing and a curse, as it results in fewer unmet expectations, while ensuring that each new patch arrives as a pleasant surprise to the legions of fans. But some fans don’t want surprises- they want results.

Especially when the integrity of the game is on the line.

It wasn’t long after launch that the many heads of the hydra-like hacking subculture reared forth from the dark abyss where they reside. Where there is money or acclaim to be had, there will inevitably be ne’er-do-wells searching for the easy route to the top of the pack. The community would cry out to Valve for respite from the waves of blatant cheaters that crashed around the genuine players, but Valve continued to keep mum on the issue. All we wanted was to know that we had been heard, and that Gabe Newell would ride in at dawn on the fifth day to rescue us from our peril.

Valve shouldered the criticism that the desperate public levied against them and continued to work against the malefactors in the shadows. Hindsight is 20/20, and Valve eventually explained the lack of communication: the more obscure their efforts, the better.

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Always watching

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Tell me, who’s watching- who’s watching me

Behind the scenes, Valve pushed out several “silent” updates, which is to say they changed how the game is run server-side. Baby steps- but any news is good news in the battle for fair play. Like I said last week, e-sports is still struggling to be taken seriously by the mainstream, but Valve is taking the occasionally difficult but necessary steps to earn credibility.

We still have a long uphill climb ahead of us as a community. Coming up in January, X Games Aspen has teamed with Major League Gaming in a major play for bringing e-sports into the spotlight. Lots of eyes will be watching, and it will certainly prove to be a litmus test for bigger and better events down the road. Tune in, and show future sponsors that the viewership exists- if we don’t take our majors seriously, how can we expect others to?

Report the suspicious while matchmaking, and let Overwatch sort them out. Rampant public accusations could prove more toxic than they’re worth, and we have many tools at our disposal for reviewing match demos and self-policing.

Above all, don’t stop playing.

Valve will continue to stand sentry, waiting for the opportune moment to strike at the heart of those developing and using hacks. In the meantime, we have a responsibility to continue to support these tentative steps toward a brighter future for gaming.

Come back next Monday for another editorial on e-sports!
Articles posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Until next time, keep fragging!

Spoilers ahead if you have yet to see the results of Dreamhack Winter/ESEA S17 LAN Finals.

It’s been a crazy month for the members of Team Fnatic.

First came rampant hacking accusations, following the announcement that several professional players had received bans from the anti-cheat systems used by Valve and ESEA. The community began combing over demos and VODs from past matches in the search for the next likely “banhammer” candidates. Several members of Fnatic quickly fell under suspicion, alongside other professionals throughout the scene. There was a palpable cloud of tension surrounding Dreamhack Winter, with viewers voicing their opinions on Twitter and Twitch streams after every play they deemed to be suspect. Finger pointing and cries for justice ruled the day, instead of the usual enthusiasm for favorite teams and beloved players. An eruption of Vesuvian proportions simmered beneath the surface, waiting for an opportunity to burst forth.

That opportunity arrived in the form of the Quarterfinal match between Fnatic and LDLC, and the infamous boost which carried Fnatic to victory.

After the public backlash following the match, Fnatic made the decision to forfeit and drop out of the tournament, rather than carry on due to the hostility surrounding the disputed boost. They found themselves on the ropes before the ESEA Season 17 LAN Finals last weekend, with some members of the team expressing that they “would rather quit than […] keep playing in this situation“.

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“Everything the light touches is our kingdom.”

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Don’t call it a comeback.

Despite the pressure, Fnatic showed up to the ESEA LAN with their A-game in their carry-on. They played some of the best Counter-Strike this year, with Fnatic dominating Virtus Pro in the finals 4-0 to secure first place. Hacking accusations notwithstanding, Fnatic decisively defended their title as one of the best CS:GO teams in the world.

This piece doesn’t aim to dispute the results. Rather, let’s dig deeper into the controversy, and why it represents healthy growing pains for e-sports as a whole.

Are e-sports a valid enterprise? It’s a legitimate question, frequently bandied about online and offline among e-sports fans. It’s the reason we often remain quiet when confronted with discussions on favorite sports or teams. It’s the voices of thousands, all shouting together: “Stop gaming and find another hobby worth pursuing!”

It’s certainly an argument that’s been heard by many, who were struggling to turn their wild-eyed dreams of becoming the best in the world at their chosen pastime into a reality. I wonder what these people would have to say about it.  Household names today, because at some critical turning point during their foolish young lives, they determined to take their passion further than their peers.

They all have something else in common—being players of physical sports which have an extensive history and a robust culture to support them. There is a precedent for traditional sports, as people worldwide have grown up watching sports with their parents, or attending games at local stadiums. The eager chaos surrounding game time can seem like a magic spell, as crowds of people cheer and fill the arena with unbridled excitement.

And so we e-sports fans crane our necks to catch a glimpse of the peak from the base of the mountain, atop which sports titans battle for prestige and jubilant victory. That peak is getting easier to see though, with every major gaming tournament across the board. Now that prize pools are growing steadily, and spectators for gaming championships are selling out stadiums, it’s evident that people are beginning to sit up and take notice.

Unfortunately, as any sport grows, it will attract the attention of unsavory competitors and others willing to work the scene toward their own ends. Traditional sports are no exception.

The recent hacking scandals which shook the e-sports community are certainly despicable, but they should not have been unexpected. With so much on the line, any competitive edge might seem favorable, regardless of the potential consequences. The fans’ response across all forms of social media is just one such consequence, which also illustrates a fundamental insecurity about our fledgeling culture—though that fear may prove to be misplaced. The e-sports scene is growing by leaps and bounds, and obstacles like this will be a natural result; I’m certain that this is not the last we’ll hear about professionals cheating or hacking their way to victory, but it shouldn’t temper our fervor for whichever game we follow. Mindlessly spouting accusations against this player or that team will only hurt our community overall, as new talent or bigger sponsors may be driven away by reckless words. The truth will come out, but in the meantime, there has to be belief—faith in good sportsmanship, and that most players are involved for the right reasons.

Just like a “real” sport.

Come back next Monday for another editorial on e-sports!
Articles posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Until next time, keep fragging!