Do you feel stuck in your current CS2 rank? You queue up for a game, and it feels like your play has zero effect on the outcome of the game. Don’t worry, this guide is here to help. Instead of recycling the same generic advice like “communicate with your team”, here are 10 actually useful tips that will help you achieve your dream rank.
Like any other competitive game, CS2 has a ranked ladder where you can meet a variety of different players. Every so often, it will feel like the game is doing everything it can against your favor. From giving you your most hated map (obviously inferno), to teammates that tilt after pistol round, climbing the CS2 ranks can be an insufferable task. But as they say, pressure makes diamonds, so here are realistic tips to help you hit your dream rank.
CS2 is a pretty basic game. You kind of have two “skill trees” that you can put points into that will help you climb: Aim and game sense. For new players, you really just want to develop a baseline level for both these skills. Here are the fastest ways to develop this:
1. Try different positions on every map.
Game sense can sound like a vague term, but a big part of it is just knowing where your enemies are. The easiest way to learn this is just to play all the different places on each map so you get a feel for where enemies can appear on your screen. It might sound too simple, but your brain will eventually identify a pattern of “Oh hey, it seems like at the beginning of the round the enemies like to peek Mid so I better be ready to shoot”.
2. Focus on crosshair placement and where you think enemies will be.
Building on the first tip, once you identify a pattern of where enemies like to appear, start trying to actively place your crosshair where the enemies will be.
3. Play a lot of Deathmatch.
After all, CS2 is a first-person shooter so you need to know how to shoot and get used to moving your mouse. The easiest way is to hop into a Deathmatch server and just move around and shoot. You might get destroyed at the beginning but that's perfectly fine. Just try to be consistent and play a little bit of Deathmatch every day.
4. Understand the economy. Pick a gun you like for force/half buy rounds. Do you like the AWP/Scout?
Stick to a few guns that you like and ONLY use them when you play deathmatch. For a new player, these are the only decisions you need to make for the current gun meta.
Pistol rounds: Just buy armor
Half/Force buy rounds:
Full buy rounds
Eventually, you will encounter other guns that have a place in CS2 such as the Scout or Desert Eagle but that’s for once you gain more experience.
5. Play with and watch players who are better than you.
The easiest way to improve is by immersing yourself with those who are better than you. Play with friends that are better than you. When you die, watch what they do and try to imitate them. If you want to take it up a level, watch pro players play FACEIT pugs and try to imitate them.
Go on YouTube and search for pro player FACEIT POVs (Donk, kyousuke, m0nesy). Imitate everything they do from crosshair placement to positioning.
This is the elo where people feel the most “stuck”. Players usually have good aim at this level, so a big mistake is to continue grinding aim trainers. Sure, you might get better, but at this point it yields diminished returns. If you invest your time elsewhere you will easily become a better player. The most important thing? CONSISTENCY
6. Focus on your movement and strafes instead of crosshair.
If you can get to this elo, your aim is good enough, trust me. It’s time to focus on your left hand instead. Every time you strafe, focus on when you should counter-strafe instead of where you're aiming at. You’re at the level where you will intuitively move your mouse to their heads so stop worrying about your aim.
7. Actually aim before you shoot. Actively ask yourself, “Hey, is my crosshair over their head?”
I know you have good aim. So use it! Do not click too early! Wait for your crosshair to be at the right place, counter strafe, and then click! The number of times people die since they panic shoot too early is insane.
8. Learn one or two roles on each map and stick to them. Watch pro players in that role and create a game plan/utility combination.
This is the easiest way to become consistent. Here is a sample that I use for defending B-Site on Mirage.
9. Play aggressive. Look for information and push. If you die, you can learn from your mistakes.
A big part of CS2 that secretly affects your skill is your confidence. The easiest way to gain confidence is to play aggressively. Even when you are on CT, make the first move and push somewhere to apply pressure on the enemies. Try jumping Underpass from the Window on Mirage. You can probably surprise the Ts the first time since people won't expect it. Not only does this boost your confidence, it makes the enemies scared, leading them to play worse.
This is the most important tip and applies for players of all levels.
10. Maintain a positive mentality. Do not tilt and play the game to actually improve.
The last tip is very simple. Play to improve. I’m willing to bet that 90% of people who play CS2 are just on autopilot which is fine. CS is a game so it’s okay to take it chill. However, if you actually want to climb, put in the effort to learn from your mistakes. Everytime you die, ask yourself, “What can I do next time to live in this situation?”. If you can remember 3 tips from this guide and apply it to your next 3 games, you will gain a whole new perspective on how to approach the game.
This is what a good mentality can result in. You got this 💯💯💯
