A look back at CSGO in 2018

With 2018 almost drawing to a close, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to take a look back at CSGO in 2018 and highlight some of the biggest moments and players of the year.

If you’ve been watching the CSGO community closely in 2018, this will serve as a bit of a nostalgic reminder for you. If you weren’t so active this year, hopefully this blog will help to fill you in.

Best CSGO Series in 2018

For me, the best CSGO series in 2018 was easily at the start of the year, when FaZe took on Cloud9 in the grand finals of the ELEAGUE Boston Major. It was a very special moment for North America as Cloud9 managed to pull out a miraculous win against FaZe on their home soil.

The entire series was close, with FaZe taking Mirage, the first map, 16:14. Next up, Cloud9 clawed back a 16:10 win on Overpass after getting 12 clean rounds on CT in the first half. Finally, it all ended with an incredibly tense 22:19 overtime game on Inferno. It almost went in FaZe’s favor, but the very last round went Cloud9’s way thanks to an incredible 4K save from Stewie when the score was 15:14. If there’s any series you go back to watch, it’d easily be the FaZe vs Cloud9 game

Best CSGO Update in 2018

It happened this month – CSGO finally went free to play. Whilst it may seem like a scary concept for longterm players, it’s a welcome change. The free to play transition helped CSGO to grow its player base after months of decline, and hopefully it’ll bring new players into the world of Counter Strike for many years to come.

This update also added the Danger Zone Battle Royale mode, which was if anything at least nice to see from Valve. There have been plenty of small updates and changes throughout the year to cater to the competitive scene, such as the economy changes and pistol adjustments, so seeing something for the casual user base is great.

At the end of the day, if CSGO esports is to survive, it needs more viewership, and what better way to get new viewers than through a new wave of casual Counter Strike players?

Best CSGO Player in 2018

With Astralis leaving 2018 on top of the world, we have to say that Dev1ce deserves MVP of the year award. Dev1ce took a break earlier in 2018 due to a health issue, but as soon as he came back, he helped to take Astralis to the top team in the world. Dev1ce wouldn’t be here without his teammates, of course, but his performance has been phenomenal.

Dev1ce and his crew might not be the most enjoyable to watch, as they don’t always pull out the flashiest plays, but their playstyle is so technically sound that it can’t not be appreciated by a true Counter Strike fan.

What are your thoughts on Counter Strike in 2018? Are there any moments that stand out to you?