Blogs
on December 9, 2025
Thanks to the game's extremely straightforward mechanics, Team Fortress remains one of the easiest FPS titles to get into. Its class-based system makes it easy for players to get into sub-genres such as hero shooters, whereas its combat paves the way for more fast-paced tit
For many people, Counter-Strike is the most competitive and foremost first-person shooter. Despite Counter-Strike: Global Offensive releasing in 2012, Valve Corporation and Hidden Path Entertainment continually add sizeable updates to the game. The first Counter-Strike game released in the year 2000. Many changes have been made to improve CS: GO gameplay, but the fundamentals of Counter-Strike have stayed the same. Like its predecessors, players achieve objectives through two different game modes. Much of the game's success is owed to its ingenious map des
As one of the few maps created by Valve, Ancient was released on December 3, 2020, as part of Operation Broken Fang. It wouldn't be until May 3, 2021, when the map was moved to the active map pool replacing Train. While Train was a well-liked and balanced map to the CS:GO community, there was some sentiment that it did start to feel a bit stale despite being one of the first maps to be reworked. This was apparent in the decline in pick rate at the professional level, but especially in casual play which is likely the cause for the remo
Given the complex systems in Fallout: New Vegas , it's easy to see why the added benefit of a keyboard and mouse is so important here. Of course, another reason to use this control scheme is that most mods don't really support controllers either, which is a bum
Ancient is, unfortunately, also quite CT-sided with many of the same sentiments for Vertigo being shared here. Many would argue it is worse on Vertigo, but the pro scene has shown how effective T-sides can be at the highest level. With that being said the map has seen a few minor changes since its introduction to improve this imbalance such as improving player visibility. Despite its early and current issues, it does fare well in pick rate in both professional and casual p
What has made the map a mainstay for so long is its balance, unique aesthetic, and low learning curve. The map has also gained a bit of a reputation for being a bit of an upset map in the professional scene. This and its age have led to community questioning when the map will inevitably get its revision, but until that day, Mirage surely has a lot more to g
What started as a Counter-Strike 1.6 community map called de_cpl_strike created by Michael "BubkeZ" Hull, would eventually become the de_mirage known today when it was altered in 2004. Valve would later remake the map for the launch of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . This version has been featured in every CS:GO Major Championships to date and has consistently been in the top 5 most played maps in both casual and professional play since 2
It is fascinating that before even mentioning the skill-based aspects of matchmaking, it is behavior associated with cheating or what we could interpret as toxicity is addressed first. Obviously there needs to be a focus on isolating cheaters from non-cheaters, but one might have guessed that skill would have taken a predominate spot in determining the Trust Factor for placing one player with similarly skilled oth
Ultimately, the Trust Factor has a clear focus according to the patent, which, "may provide an improved gaming experience for users who desire to play a video game in multiplayer mode in the manner it was meant to be played." This description playing a game as intended refers to players who respect the game in its core design, meaning those who do not cheat or act in toxic w
Ultimately, we can only really guess as to how Valve weighs each of these points, or if it even uses all of them at all in determining a Trust Factor value per player account. There is much more to consider, and everyone should take the time to check out the patent for themselves. It can appear to be a long, daunting read, because it is, but there are some interesting pieces of information to glean from such an endea
Platforms: PC , PS4 , Xbox One
Newcomers to the FPS genre who want to get bamboozled with a new experience will want to try Splitgate. This FPS takes players to the classic arena shooter format, with its own share of futuristic weapons and a diverse set of maps that make each match a visual feast. However, unique to Splitgate is its portal mechanics, cs2 anti-cheat Benefits where players can set portals on specific surfaces. In turn, players get a whole different experience when it comes to positioning - arguably one of the most important elements in FPS ga
Proper matchmaking in online games is difficult to do well, put simply, but recent patent filings by Valve give users a peek behind the curtain at the various data miners at work in establishing the Trust Factor in CS:GO . There is quite a bit of information in these patents that range from 2018 to 2020 , and of course, not all of the point below can be said to contribute to an individual’s Trust Factor, though in reality most probably are to some deg