Gaming
esports
How to become a Counter-Strike GO pro
Want to be a professional Counter-Strike but don't know where to start? Find out with these tips.
The ESL One Counter-Strike GO tournament took place last weekend in Frankfurt, with Swedish team Fnatic beating Team EnVyUs of France in the final to take home the lion's share of the $250,000 purse.
Counter-Strike GO is one of the largest FPS eSports in the world, with hundreds of thousands of dollars won by the best players around the world every year, but not everyone can just wade in and start making a fortune playing games. To find out just how much work it takes to make these dreams a reality, we talked to professional players Andreas Højsleth and Asger Larsen and asked for their tips on how to make it big.
Dedicate your life to the game
Becoming a professional Counter-Strike player inevitably means dedicating your whole life to competing, missing out on other luxuries in life as a result. SK Gaming professional Asger Larsen explains: “There are a lot of things you will miss out on if you want to become pro like parties, being with friends and even the possibility of having a girlfriend. Not only is time a requirement, but you also have to be skilled and be able to work in a team environment."
Andreas Højsleth believes talent is a more important factor than time. "It's all about how talented you are for the game," he says. "Some people will need a lot of time to make it big, while some can manage it in just a few years. The best way to practice to become a professional player is to play in a competitive enviroment against people on the same level or a level above you, so you learn something."
Set up a daily practice schedule
The daily schedule for a Counter Strike professional player is similar to that of a full time job, according to Andreas, who plays between 5-7 hours a day. "For us it's five days a week of practice, which mostly takes place from 5-11pm. We spend this time looking into other opponents and playing practice games against other teams."
Asger adds that his daily schedule changes if there are big events coming up. "Last year when we practiced for Dreamhack Winter 2014 we would start around 5pm and continue until around 2am every day. For a normal practice session we'd start at around 6pm or 7pm and continue until midnight.”
Prove yourself as a top player
To make it as a Counter-Strike pro, you also need to prove yourself and show off your skills and talent. "Go to local LAN events, be competitive and attend small tournaments online," Andreas says. "Just by being serious about it you'll have a better chance: often it's not the organisations that recognise you but the other players."
Asger agrees, adding it is also important to show dedication. "The best way for new players to prove themselves is indeed by playing a lot and attending local LAN events. If you show you are able to improve and work within a team there is a good chance that a better team will pick you up sooner or later."
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
© Valve
Learn a wide range of skills
Being a solid player is one thing but being able to pull off advanced tricks can mean the difference between winning and losing. Andreas says: “There are a lot of different Counter-Strike skills, and there are very few professional players that have them all. Good communication, game-sense and quick, precise aiming are among the most vital."
"You need to be able to work within a team," adds Asger. "If you can't work with other players, any other skill you have doesn’t matter. But if you are able to work with your teammates then communication, pure skill and being innovative are good ways to start out. I don’t think it is about learning the best strategies. You have to play your own game. A lot of top teams don’t even play with strategies. They play as a unit with a lot of good communication and teamwork."
Build good team chemistry
Counter Strike is a team game, so it's extremely important to have a team that can work together efficiently. Asger Larsen has competed in some of the biggest teams in Europe in the past year, including Copenhagen Wolves and SK Gaming. He believes team chemistry is vital.
"It's a really important factor," he says. "You are together almost 24/7 so you have to get along otherwise the motivation will decrease and you will not improve at all. Then you need to have a good in-game leader, an 'awper' and three 'riflers'. And I would actually also say that you need a co-leader because sometimes it can be really hard for the in-game leader to be the only one making decisions and coming up with innovative strategies if nothing is working."
Compete with the best
Once you have fine-tuned your skills, strategies and team chemistry it is time to take on the elite. "The best way to compete is always local LAN events, but these days I think the number of local LAN events has decreased a lot", Asger says. "There are also smaller LAN events which are non-invite like CPH Games and Assembly Summer/Winter."
Andreas adds: "There are a lot of local lans which have bring-your-own-computer events, but for the most part, you'll probably want to get inolved with an online amateur league (like ESL, FACEIT or ESEA)."
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
© Valve
Get competitive equipment
PC gaming is not always a level playing field: having the right gaming equipment can largely benefit both your comfort and reaction times. First and foremost, a powerful computer and monitor are vital. "The most important thing is to have a computer that can handle Count-Strike GO with a decent frame rate," Asger advises. "The next thing you need is a 120+ hz monitor because it just makes the game feel so much smoother."
Final advice
So there you have it: you've learned from the pros what it takes to make it to the top as a professional Counter-Strike player. We asked Asger and Andreas to offer a final word of advice. "My number one tip I would give to anyone asking how to become a pro is to keep improving," Asger says. "Always learn by your mistakes. Keep fighting to become pro. One day you will get your shot to show yourself and you have to grab that chance.”
Finally, Andreas adds: "Be dedicated and don't give up."
For more Counter-Strike goodness, check out these articles:
