In CS2, players looking for a competitive experience on the server have a couple of options available. Let’s compare CS2 Premier mode with Competitive mode to help the average player decide where to dive in for some action!
CS2 Premier Mode
A reminder that Premier mode existed in CS:GO but was difficult to access games, leaving it largely unused. Now, Premier in CS2 competes with FACEIT.
When comparing CS2 Premier vs Competitive, the new ranking system in Premier stands out. Players are now assigned a numerical ELO, a significant improvement from the old Silver – Global Elite system. This places players on a global leaderboard, showing their rank among other players.
Credit: Daniel Morris
In CS2’s Premier mode, players don’t select a specific map to play. Instead, a veto process occurs before the match, banning maps until one is chosen. This can be positive or negative, as it can push players out of their comfort zone and help them improve faster by experiencing different maps.
In general, you’re likely to encounter higher-skilled players in Premier compared to Competitive in CS2. As you climb the ranks, competition becomes tougher, potentially leading to rapid progress or hitting a skill ceiling.
Premier’s Cheating Issue in CS2
One downside of Premier in CS2 is the prevalent cheating problem in higher ranks (20k ELO+), with many games marred by hackers of various types.
This issue has persisted since launch, and Valve has made minimal efforts to address it, driving many players back to platforms like FACEIT. Let’s hope Valve prioritizes fixing this to enhance the Premier experience in CS2.
CS2 Competitive Mode
Despite its name, Competitive mode may not be the best option for highly competitive matches in CS2. In comparison to CS2 Premier, it seems like an afterthought.
Valve’s “Rank-per-map” experiment hasn’t quite worked out, leading to great players being stuck in lower ranks alongside newer players, resulting in unfair matchups and discouraging newcomers.
Credit: Daniel Morris
One advantage of Competitive over Premier is the ability to choose any map to play at any time, offering more flexibility. Additionally, maps like Dust II and Office are exclusive to Competitive.
Despite Premier’s cheating problems, when comparing CS2 Premier vs Competitive, Premier still seems like the better option. If Competitive had a unified rank system like CS:GO, it could potentially surpass Premier. However, until then, the lack of incentive makes Competitive less appealing.
