A few months ago I wrote an article about deliberate practise and how to improve in general. There has been a lot of debate whether custom game modes can truly improve your game play or whether they are a viable to hone your CSGO skills. Some examples of these game modes include KZ climb, surf and retake.

Can these server mods improve your game play? To answer the question, it will be highly dependent on your current skill level and whether or not the skills acquired can be transitioned into performance in a match. There are more custom game modes available but for this article we will just look at retake, surf and KZ.

Retake

Retake is a server mod that replicates a post-plant situation, where the CTs try to retake the bombsite and the Terrorists aim to defend the site from on-coming CTs. Usually the server is set up to have a maximum of 9 or 10 players and there is a choice a weapons to choose from. The Terrorists spawn in the close vicinity of the bombsite whereas the Counter-Terrorists spawn at common rotation routes outside of the bombsite.

Skills that can be learned or transitioned into matchmaking:

Grenade usage
Adapting to bomb timer
Clutch situations
Pre-aiming, learning angles
Positioning

There are also disadvantages of this game mode:

Spawn positions are fixed, there are a limited number of positions where players can spawn
Unstructured play, players are uncoordinated
Casual game mode, players of varying skill levels, players playing for server rank/statistics

Although retake attempts to replicate the post-plant situation of a competitive game, it is still a casual game mode. For newer player, the game mode will be immensely beneficial in learning the ropes to CSGO such as positioning and grenade usage. In contrast, retake would not significantly benefit an extremely skilled competitive player (someone who competes with a team in a CSGO league) in terms of improving their general skill level. Overall, a fun casual game mode for players with time constraints who are unable to fully play out a competitive match.

Surf

A professional player known to spend hours playing surf is Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg. Surfing is a custom game mode where your player model rides (“surf”) ramps to achieve a certain goal. For this article, we’ll be looking at skill surf, where the goal is to finish the map as fast as possible. In this game mode, it is important to maintain speed, ensure that the transitions between ramps are as smooth as possible and finding the shortest route to the finish line. To achieve this, it is essential to have coordinated keyboard key strokes coupled with precise mouse movements.

It is definitely debatable whether surfing will indirectly enhance CSGO skills. Players who have surf experience suggested that surfing helped them refine their mouse movement skills. Personally, I haven’t noticed any significant difference apart from being able to bunny hop more effectively. Surfing may or may not indirectly contribute to improving your game play in CSGO, it is not exactly proven but it has been claimed to boost game play by various players.

For anyone that is interested in trying out surf, here is a basic video guide on YouTube.

KZ Climb

KZ Climb is a game mode that includes obstacles and challenging jumps. The aim is to progress through the obstacle course and complete it as fast as possible. The map difficulty varies from map to map. This game mode involves practising movement mechanics such as strafe jumping, long jumps, and bunny hopping.

As you can see from the above video, having proficient movement allows a player to efficiently move to certain areas of the map in a timely fashion. In this case, Kenneth “koosta” Suen was aiming to attain an early pick with the AWP, his fluid movement allowed him to jump up into apartments effortlessly without stopping.

Practising the movement mechanics in KZ Climb will definitely benefit any CSGO player. Getting from one position to another will become easier and it will also improve your understanding of your player model position in space. Once mastering these skills, it is important to practise it in official maps. KZ Climb will provide you with the tools to get to that position fast or allow you to reach unique positions on certain maps. However, you as a player need to practise on official maps to consistently perform the jump on the first attempt.

In terms of relevant skills picked up, KZ climb would probably be the most applicable in a match. For less experienced players, they may be able to profit from playing retake. The reason being, when we are learning a new skill, we find ourselves improving at a rapid pace. After mastering certain skills, the pace we improve at begins to taper off unless we find alternative methods to improve and develop other skills. Therefore, retake will not have any effective skill improvements for a highly skilled player. These highly skilled players are still able to play retake but only as a way to maintain their mechanical (aim, movement etc.) skill level. This is also a major answer to why most players find themselves hit a wall in terms of furthering their skill ceiling. They master the simple mechanics such as aim but don’t delve any deeper or they continue to spend most of their time on skills that have already been well refined.

Remember if it requires a lot of attention on your part and the skill can be transitioned into a real match, you will most likely improve. It is key to note that deliberate practise can be extremely draining and because of that reason don't forget to have some fun in between. Take plenty of breaks in between training and play more casual game modes to avoid burning out.

Are you into fantasy leagues? Then check out AlphaDraft and put together your allstar lineup!

Dignitas Store

View All

Dignitas Hoodie - Black

noblechairs Hero Dignitas Edition Gaming Chair