From version 1.6 to today's CS:GO, the game continues to enjoy incredible popularity, with an ever-increasing viewership. How does this 'old' title manage to stay alive and reach new peaks? With the release of VALORANT, the player base was once again divided. Would people stick with the old game or make the move to the new Riot Games title? Well, many players have switched to the new title, but CS:GO itself does not seem to be doing as badly as people thought.
During the past Major, the high level of play and close competition was once again evident, producing an amazing atmosphere. The old-school talents did what they did best, attracting spectators not only from the CS scene but also from other games. From all sorts of FPS and other titles, people commented on social media about how incredible and raw the game was. Perfect for an exciting viewing experience.
How is CS:GO still alive?
Often viewership numbers are down after a major, but this time the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2021 was upon us. With the big question of whether Natus Vincere could build on his strong performance, people were drawn back to the tournament to see what the competition could bring and whether there would already be a good challenger to take down the top dog.
Another major factor for the high viewership is the large group of teams that seem to be able to fight for the top spots, behind Natus Vincere of course. The revamped Astralis and NIP teams are doing well and attracting some Scandinavian viewers, with Vitality sometimes surprising every now and then in the typical French way in terms of results. It seems that the global dimension of the scene is becoming more and more prevalent as more teams from different regions are again at the top and fighting for the biggest prizes.
New stories affect viewership
This is of course different from some time ago, when CIS dominated the scene and it looked like no team could even come close to their level. The brave approach of some organisations to go a completely different way with their squad ideology has paid off. They are giving new and young talent a chance while ensuring that the investment is paying off. People like to see a success story. The rise of new players always provides us with great storylines, and you can see the growth over several events.
As is usual with such numbers, they drop again after a while, but it seems that CS:GO is able to bring these numbers back up to the high level without too much trouble. The game is far from dead and this new upswing proves it once again.
If you are interested in CS:GO, make sure to check out Luckbox to find the best events from the game, watch them live and even place your bets on your favourite teams.
