Today, ESL officially released a new interview video, with commentators Machine and Spunj inviting NAVI s1mple and NPL to evaluate the current version of CS2.
Spunj: CS2 was released during the EPL NAVI match against Outsider, and we also showed a demo video to s1mple on the commentary platform. What was your team’s impression of CS2 after the discussion?
S1mple: CS2 is so cool! The teammates were shocked by the new smoke grenade, and we are also discussing what changes he will make to the future play. I think this change is good for the game ecosystem, as CS needs something new.
Machine: npl, your recent efforts and progress are obvious to all, but as soon as you scored in CS:GO, CS2 arrived. Will this have any impact on you? Is it a burden or an opportunity for you to start learning CS2 again?
NPL: I think it’s more of an opportunity, and I’m also very excited. Learning a new game itself is a very interesting process, which is more interesting than repeatedly playing an old game.
Spunj: s1mple, as a top player in CS:GO, have you ever thought about winning the TOP1 title in CS2?
S1mple: I think the main reason why I am excited is because I can play new things, just like when I first came out of VALORANT, I also went to play. Now that CS2 comes out, I will definitely wholeheartedly train and refine my skills. It can be said that I won’t touch other games anymore.
Spunj: Is there any new gameplay for CS2 that you don’t like?
S1mple: I don’t really like the new tickerate because I’m used to using 128 ticker servers, and the character movements in the new official team feel a bit strange. Especially when players’ pings are different, such as when North American players come to play on European servers, there is a noticeable lag in character movement.
Spunj: npl, don’t you still have CS2 permissions? Why don’t you ask s1mple to ask Valve for one for you?
NPL: I haven’t received the invitation yet, but I haven’t sent them a message either. Blade3 does have permission.
Spunj: Then you go secretly play on the account of Blade3. Anyway, he doesn’t play either. He probably watches demos every day, haha.
S1mple: Don’t blame me, Valve hasn’t replied to my messages since CS2 came out. I used to want to lend my account to NPL to play, but he didn’t play either.
Spunj: Which map do you want to play the most? It doesn’t matter if it’s not for the competition. I want to see a new version of Ancient and Vertigo.
S1mple: Trains, trains are the best designed maps.
Machine: Ancient must be very fun. The new engine handles water differently than before, and enemies will leave traces when passing by. I want to see how you will utilize this feature in time.
Spunj: The most important thing is coming. What do you think of the change of the smoke grenade?
S1mple: I think the change is good. Players need to re understand and understand the use of smoke grenade. But this gameplay is definitely not perfect, especially since the time it takes for a grenade to dissipate smoke is too long. This gap should only be momentary, and players need to accurately control the timing to obtain kills through the gap, rather than losing a grenade and making the smoke ineffective for a long time. Alternatively, a grenade should not blow up the entire smoke, as it would be more reasonable to blow up some of the smoke based on the location of the grenade.
Spunj: Many active players are already approaching the age of 30. Do you think they still have the opportunity to shine on the CS2 field and can they adapt to these changes?
S1mple: I think they will continue to play, and the overall professional atmosphere should not change much. Overall, the difference between CS2 and CS:GO is not significant, and I think they can still adapt well. Some IGLs may choose to retire, but I’m not sure.
Spunj: What do you think CS2 must be retained or modified?
S1mple: Ranking List! Ranking List! Ranking List! Dota2 has it, Valorant also has it, but CS:GO does not. If there were a ranking list, I would definitely compete for the first place in the official competition every day. I think being able to match professional players with passersby players is an improvement in the game ecosystem, and there may be more cute new players entering the pit or competing for official positions.
I don’t really like the sound of the new version either, it’s too different from the previous one. There is also the modification of displaying the sound range on the radar, which I think is a very basic understanding of the game. As long as you play regularly, you can figure out the range of the leakage sound, which is a bit redundant.
Machine: I think this is a good thing for new players, as it reduces the learning cost of the game and increases the lower limit of the game. As long as the upper limit of the game is increasing, I don’t think the problem is significant.
