From the very first versions of CS to its predecessors like CS:S and CS:GO, the system of 30 rounds per match has become a trademark and is considered the standard, as it helps keep the duration of a game from being too long and prevents the audience from getting bored or fatigued. Moreover, this number is sufficient to ensure balance for both competing teams and gives them enough time to rectify mistakes or change strategies (if necessary).
However, with the extended duration of each round and the introduction of timeout rounds (4 per team/1 map), a CS:GO map now often lasts up to an hour, not counting the nail-biting overtime. A prime example is the recent match between NiP and Vitality in the ESL One: Road to Rio, where the match lasted nearly 5 hours with all 3 maps featuring intense overtime. For loyal CS fans, this is not a problem; however, for some new viewers, it can be challenging to maintain focus on a game for such a long time, creating a sense of excessive tension and losing its entertainment value.
To address this issue, Pimp, a former professional player and now an analyst for tournaments, has proposed reducing the total number of rounds to 24 (with each half having 12 rounds instead of the previous 15). Explaining his opinion, he argues that 12 rounds are sufficient to determine which team is superior, and 15 rounds under the current money system are unnecessary.
This opinion quickly received a lot of feedback from both casual players and professional gamers, with some agreeing that 12 rounds per half are enough for a game like CS:GO, making it more entertaining and forcing teams to value each round. Gla1ve, the captain and IGL of the current number one team in the world, Astralis, also agreed with Pimp and provided some comments and analyses on this opinion.
Gla1ve: “When it first launched, each CS:GO map with 30 rounds would only last about 45 minutes, but now, at least in my opinion, it takes at least an hour.
There are several reasons for this:
– The bomb countdown time has increased from 40 to 45 seconds
– The time to stand still at the beginning of the round has increased from 15 to 20 seconds
– The duration of each round has increased from 1 minute 45 seconds to 1 minute 55 seconds
– Additional timeout rounds (4 per team/1 map)”
With the current money system, we see many matches ending with close scores, which is certainly a good thing, but it also prolongs the game. The match between NiP and FaZe, although only a best-of-three, lasted up to 5 hours. Additionally, between maps, we also have a 20-minute break.
However, some others are skeptical and believe that if the number of rounds per map changes, the money system will also need to be adjusted, especially since pistol rounds play a crucial role.
TACO: “I think that’s fine, but winning a pistol round gives too much of an advantage. Is there anything we can change?”
Gla1ve: “That is true; we will need to change some things in the money system. Being completely reset and having to force buy with $1400, and then having to eco is unreasonable. For example: winning the pistol round but losing the next round.”
YNk, the current coach of FaZe Clan, later joined the discussion and shared his thoughts.
YNk: “The issue with the previous money system was not just that you only have $1400 after being reset, but also that if you force buy and lose, then the next gun round you will have very little money (around $4,300 + whatever kills you got). This means your team won’t have an AWP or will likely be very short on nades.
“Increasing the bonus to $1,900 after losing a pistol is a good change, but it also raises the number of rounds both sides have rifles (thanks to the bonus system). I think the bonus amount should drop 2 tiers after you win a round (from $3,400 to $2,400, instead of $2,900). This change will allow your opponent to eco one round and still be able to full buy afterward.
“Currently, there is another issue that when you are playing on T and win a half buy round with max bonus, your team will have enough money to full buy for 2-4 rounds afterward (depending on whether you planted C4, the number of kills,…)
In my opinion, this puts too much pressure on the CT money system because the chances of winning those half buy rounds are very possible.”
This is a very interesting idea and promises to bring exciting changes to CS:GO; however, it will need to be considered and consulted carefully before being implemented into the game.