In this CS:GO communication guide, we will cover what you need and what you don’t need to say to your team through team chat.

The freeze time and buy calls

The first thing we are going to cover in our CS:GO communication guide is the time before the round starts. Before it happens you have about 15 seconds and you have to use it efficiently. So, alongside other things, you need to discuss what kind of buy you want to have. In order to be as efficient as possible, you need to start calculating already at the end of the round when money bonuses get added up. The whole story around money and buy-in next round mustn’t take longer than 7 to 8 seconds, because you need to discuss other things as well before the round kicks off.

For the sake of simplicity and efficiency, you need to use simple expressions such as full-buy, force-buy, full eco, buy up to $2,000 and similar. In games when you play with your team it’s important to wait until someone makes “buy call” before buying any weapon. In SoloQ, however, you need to be quick with your “buy call” because most of the players tend to buy a weapon at the very beginning of the round.

Additionally, you need to have a brief discussion about what you are going to do in the following round. On CT side, you just have to say your position, and eventually to negotiate with your teammates if you want to swap with them.

On T side, you need to make a brief strategy for the next round. Hence, use simple tactics descriptions such as “Mid-to-B(A) split”, “Fake A with x guys, and then execute B site” and so on. Also, you want to make sure who has which tasks before the round starts.

Of course, in order to communicate in such a way, it’s required from your teammates to know basic ideas behind these tactics.

The beginning of the round and early calls

With round kicking off, we move to the next part of our CS:GO communication guide and that’s the beginning of the round. When the round starts, presumably, you will have an idea of how the following round is going to be played out from the perspective of your team. Hence, you need to use the opening 5-10 seconds of the round when nothing particularly happens to quickly discuss tinny details.

On the CT side, you need to point out what you are going to smoke off or which grenades you want to use. This is important in order to avoid having two players smoking off the same spot and wasting one smoke in that way. Also, in SoloQ, it often happens that one CT throws Incedienary and the other one extinguishes the fire by smoke. Again, don’t talk too much and only use simple expressions such as “I am smoking off that spot”.

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start">﻿</span>

Here is how the pro team communicates in official matches.

On T side, you need to do the same thing when it comes to utility usage.

Sharing known information and executions

On both sides, it’s very important to share the information that you got. On CT side, say if opponents threw certain Smokes or Molotovs, or HE Grenades. It’s very important because in that way, you can basically count how many nades have opposite team spent and you know what you can expect from them in the rest of the match. Also, it will help your IGL to follow their movements.

Of course, it’s very important to provide your team with accurate information. So, if you see only one T, don’t panic and don’t call for early rotations. Always provide your team only with information you are sure about.

On T side, it’s also important to say if you saw any CT in any particular position. Also, before the final attack, it’s good to discuss who is going to clear which angles, or at least, who is going to watch which sides. Also, you must say how many Flashbangs you want to throw before the attack in order to avoid complete mess and chaos.

When the attack kicks off, you don’t want to be either too loud or too quiet. Just quickly say the position of CTs, and repeat it twice so you can be sure your teammates heard you. The same thing applies in case of any elimination that happens.

Other information you have to provide your team with

Alongside all the mentioned information, there are some other things from our CS:GO communication guide that you need to take care of. For example, you must say to your team if you are reloading or if you are blind only when some fight is going on. Otherwise, if everything is calm, there is no need to bother your teammates with such information.

Also, if you want to change the position where you watched someone’s back, you must say it loudly, so that particular player knows no one is watching his back anymore.

Additionally, when you throw Flashbang say it loudly.

What you must avoid

At the end of our CS:GO communication guide, we will talk about things you mustn’t do. When it comes to communication, it’s important to avoid being toxic, speaking too much and telling other players how to play the game. Team chat is very useful for making strategies, decisions, and calls. However, if you misuse it and if you start talking about your everyday life, you will do more harm than good.

Of course, encouraging your teammates is a good thing, but you should do it before the round starts, not during the battle.

Another thing you just must not do is to speak in clutch situations. The only thing you can say when someone is in the clutch situation is the last known position of the certain opponent. Also, you can say if there is any kit or valuable weapon on the ground. That’s all. Besides that, anything you say will just have a negative impact on a player who is clutching.