Counter-Strike

Latest news

• Latest news Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 adds Counter-Strike-style mode 'Collateral'

  Eurogamer reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (2026) is adding a new game mode called Collateral. Collateral is described as a more restrictive take on the series' Search and Destroy, aligning its rules more closely with Counter-Strike and Valorant's Bomb Defusal mode. Eurogamer reported the mode uses an in-game cash economy, disables pre-made loadouts, gives all players the same starting money and a pistol, and has teams alternate attacking and defending two bomb sites while earning cash each round. The outlet wrote that Collateral strips away typical Call of Duty mechanics and is intended to court the competitive scene.

• Latest news Counter-Strike: ESL Pro League Season 24 talent list includes moses and stunna

  ESL released the full talent list for ESL Pro League Season 24 in Katowice, and Dust2.us reports Jason "moses" O'Toole and Tres "stunna" Saranthus are on the event's main broadcast while Donny "Buckethead" Higgins and Anthony "AllInGaming" Ferdinando will work the secondary stream remotely. Dust2.us reports the tournament field for Season 24 has been reduced to 16 teams, down from 32 in Season 23, and that this edition will not include an online stage. The outlet also notes the published talent list contains no labels for who will cast versus who will serve on the analysts' desk, which Dust2.us says echoes the more informal, couch-style presentation used in early stages of Season 23. Dust2.us additionally reports Jason "moses" O'Toole participated in the previous ESL Pro League season.

• Latest news G2 parts with AWPer Álvaro 'SunPayus' García

  HLTV reports G2 has announced the departure of Álvaro "SunPayus" García. The outlet says SunPayus had spent the previous three months on the bench after Artem "r1nkle" Moroz replaced him in June. HLTV also reports it is widely expected that SunPayus will join FUT as a replacement for AWPer Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov. SunPayus's 14-month stint at G2 began in July 2025 as the long-term replacement for Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov and included a BLAST Open London 2025 win early in his time with the team, though HLTV notes inconsistent results and community criticism despite solid statistical performance outside the game's top elite AWPers.

• Latest news Counter-Strike: SAW win inaugural LeonBet Masters Season 1 in Vila Nova de Gaia

  HLTV reports that Portuguese team SAW won the inaugural LeonBet Masters Season 1 in Vila Nova de Gaia, beating Fluxo 2-1 in the grand final. HLTV says SAW collected 456 Valve points from the title run and climbed 110 places to 51st in the global VRS. According to HLTV's match listings, SAW's path included 2-0 wins over INFINITE, MOUZ NXT and RBLS across 25–27 September 2026 before the 2-1 grand final over Fluxo. HLTV's report lists SAW and Fluxo rosters for the event but does not provide information about subsequent events for either team.

• Latest news Counter-Strike 2: Liquid win FML 2, first LAN trophy since 2019

  Dust2.us reported that Team Liquid won the iBUYPOWER Masters fl0m's Mythical LAN 2026 (FML 2), taking the $12,500 first-place prize and not dropping a map. Dust2.us said the victory is Liquid’s first LAN trophy in Counter-Strike 2 since 2019 and described it as an important milestone for the new Liquid roster. According to Dust2.us, Liquid advanced from groups with wins over Chicken Coop and NRG, then beat M80 16-13 on Cache and 13-2 on Anubis in playoffs before defeating Wildcard in the grand final. Dust2.us characterized Liquid’s run through the North American event as dominant.

• Latest news NRG eliminated from iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026; hallzerk criticises team's play

  NRG were knocked out early from the iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 by Wildcard, and NRG AWPer Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli said the team's performance was "unforgivable," Dust2.us reported. Hallzerk told Dust2.us the squad competed on LAN without coach Darryl "daps" Pleasance present because he was ill and remained at home. The player also described preparation problems at the event, saying teammates were forced to practise on iPads while the coach tried to send guidance remotely. Dust2.us additionally reported that hallzerk is returning from time on the bench and that Grim has been added to NRG's lineup.

• Latest news junior: North American AWPers lack IGL development in Counter-Strike after iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026

  Paytyn “junior” Johnson told Dust2.us there are no IGLs in North America who can help AWPers develop, speaking after Voca eliminated BESTIA at iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026. Dust2.us reported junior framed this as part of a wider comment on the state of AWPing in North America and said he does not see new AWPers rising to challenge him. The interview, published by Dust2.us on September 26, 2026, also covered Voca’s limited LAN attendance and variability in Counter-Strike during the VRS era. Dust2.us noted junior said Voca need to perform well on LAN to have a chance at the Major.

• Latest news M80 opens iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 with 2-0 sweep over BESTIA

  Dust2.us reports M80 began their run at iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 with a 2-0 sweep of BESTIA. In a post-match interview published by Dust2.us, Michael “Swisher” Schmid said that “when he’s on, he’s on,” referring to teammate JBa and calling it “the fine line of getting him in the game.” Swisher also told Dust2.us that the team had limited sleep after flying in, noted they did not win any pistol rounds in the opening series, and still felt strong. Dust2.us published a full video interview and a transcription alongside the recap.

• Latest news 100 Thieves lose to HEROIC in Stake Pulse Beat II final after Inferno rout

  Dust2.us reported that HEROIC defeated 100 Thieves to win the Stake Pulse Beat II grand final on September 26, 2026, taking the series with a runaway third map on Inferno. 100 Thieves won the opening map Dust2 13-8 and held a 1-0 series lead, according to Dust2.us. The same report says 100T missed opportunities to close the series on the second map Ancient, and HEROIC capitalized in the decider. Dust2.us also noted 100 Thieves reached the playoffs with wins over BBL and Astralis, with Nicolai “device” Reedtz facing Astralis in a 100T jersey for the first time.

• Latest news CROSSFIRE Season 7 to use 56-team format with $10,000 prize pool

  Dust2.us reports CROSSFIRE announced Season 7 will retain the expanded 56-team format and carry a $10,000 prize pool. The outlet says the event will run from November 2 to December 13 and will be VRS-enabled, though the extent of VRS coverage is not yet specified. Dust2.us reports Season 7 will keep Season 6's structure: teams seeded by VRS, the top eight seeded directly into playoffs, and a 32-team double-elimination playoff fed by twelve round-robin groups of four. Most matches are scheduled as best-of-three with a best-of-five final, according to Dust2.us.

• Latest news Complexity shuts down, ends 23-year North American Counter-Strike legacy

  Esports.net reported that Jason Lake announced on September 23, 2026 that Complexity no longer exists as an active organization and that its intellectual property has been transferred back to GameSquare. The report says Lake and his core team have stepped away for good. Esports.net framed the closure as the end of a 23-year institution that began in 2003 and as a notable moment for North American Counter-Strike. The article notes Complexity was fielding a Counter-Strike roster as early as 2004.

• Latest news Valve offers Counter-Strike 2 players eggs, PC Gamer reports

  PC Gamer reported that Valve is offering eggs to Counter-Strike 2 players. The article was written by Elie Gould and published on 23 September 2026 in PC Gamer’s Games FPS Counter-Strike 2 features. PC Gamer’s piece also noted that CS2 players have been begging for an anticheat overhaul and included an image credited to FX Productions.

• Latest news Counter-Strike 2 'Rush Hour' patch adds silent reloads and new gamemode

  Dust2.us reported Valve released the 'Rush Hour' update for Counter-Strike 2 on September 22, 2026, introducing silent reloads and a new gamemode. The report says the update also includes multiple quality-of-life changes and specific alterations to Premier. Dust2.us describes the patch as resolving several minor but longstanding issues and one of the larger updates of the year. The article notes silent reloading works by holding the Reload key and makes reloads take a few seconds longer, a trade-off Dust2.us says could affect the game's meta.

• Latest news Counter-Strike: Luminosity and 3DMAX reach Logitech G Play Connect grand final

  HLTV reports Luminosity and 3DMAX advanced to the Logitech G Play Connect grand final after semi-final wins. Luminosity beat B8 2-0 in their semi-final, while 3DMAX reached the final by reverse-sweeping Inner Circle, HLTV says. HLTV adds Luminosity will have a chance to secure the organization's first LAN Counter-Strike title in over 10 years, and notes 3DMAX have been linked with a reported move to Envy. The grand final between Luminosity and 3DMAX is scheduled for 23/09/2026 at 18:00, according to the published match listings.

• Latest news AURA parts ways with roster amid Zhenn–Warden coaching payment dispute

  Dust2.us reports AURA parted ways with its ESEA Main roster after a coaching payment dispute between player Shawn "Zhenn" Knapp and former BLUEJAYS coach Matthew "Warden" Dickens. Zhenn announced on September 17 via X that his team had parted ways with AURA, alleging an "internal conflict on payment," though his post did not provide further detail. Dust2.us said it spoke to both parties and reported the dispute boiled down to compensation for coaching services, with Zhenn saying he had been paying Warden out of pocket and was disappointed in the quality and frequency of coaching.

• Latest news Endless disbands as Counter-Strike duo Enzo and Ravenzs seek new teams

  Dust2.us reported that Endless has disbanded after Jason "Enzo" Agaliotis and Tyler "Ravenzs" Kibec separately posted on September 18 that they are looking for new ESEA Advanced teams. The two were the final remaining members of the Endless roster, and Enzo's post explicitly noted the squad's end, the outlet said. Dust2.us added that the organization has not posted any announcement about the roster changes. The report also says the team's planned rebuild collapsed roughly two weeks after internal cuts and departures, with Tristin "Treehen" Young joining Elusive while Enzo and Ravenzs moved on.

• Latest news Counter-Strike: DEPO swap sh1seido for SNk

  HLTV reported that DEPO replaced player sh1seido with SNk on 19/09 in its Week 37 short-news roundup. The swap appeared as a single-line item among other short items on the same HLTV page. That roundup also included a report of NiKo saying a performance coach helped him win his Major and an item that FiReSPORTS plans to run a $75,000 open LAN before the Major cutoff. HLTV did not supply further details about the DEPO swap in that short-news entry.

• Latest news Counter-Strike 2: Elusive sign LittleBEER and Treehen to complete roster

  Elusive added Joshua "LittleBEER" Stuckley and Tristin "Treehen" Young to complete their Counter-Strike 2 roster, Dust2.us reports. Treehen is reported to take the sniper role while LittleBEER joins the rifling unit alongside Austin, Jonji, and in‑game leader FRIZZY. Dust2.us reported the moves follow the departures of Mergio "msaia" Saia and Nyas "sayN" Sederquist, which had left Elusive without a VRS core and with only three HLTV matches played. Dust2.us also reports LittleBEER thanked his former NorthForge teammates and said the Elusive roster aligns more with his goals, while Treehen joins permanently from Endless after representing that side at FRAG Midwest: St. Louis.

• Latest news Chicken Coop parts with IGL mds; WolfY to stand in for iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026

  Chicken Coop have parted ways with John "mds" Marin, and will field Adam "WolfY" Andersson as a stand-in for iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026. The organization said it will announce a permanent fifth player at a later date. Dust2.us reported mds stepped down reportedly by mutual agreement after a stint that began in April 2026, and that mds did not respond to a request for comment. During mds's time as IGL the squad climbed from #45 to #33 in the Americas VRS and entered the Top Ten in North America, and won the ESEA Season 57 North American Finals in June, according to Dust2.us.

• Latest news CROSSFIRE Season 6: Without a Roof, Iowa Stormboar advance in Upper Bracket Ro16

  Dust2.us reports that Without a Roof defeated NuTorious 2-0 and Iowa Stormboar beat FarmVille during the CROSSFIRE Season 6 upper-bracket round of 16. The round featured eight best-of-three series played over three days, with several favored teams—including Without a Roof and Marsborne—recording 2-0 wins while others, such as Iowa Stormboar and regain, required three maps. Dust2.us highlighted a standout performance from Jake "Stewie2K" Yip, who posted a 22-9 K/D and a 2.05 rating on Ancient in the Without a Roof win. There are 24 teams still alive in the bracket and, according to Dust2.us, 30 series remaining as teams compete for the majority of a $10,000 prize pool.

• Latest news SportsBetExpert beats LAG 2-0 to reach ESEA Season 58 Finals

  SportsBetExpert beat LAG 2-0 to qualify for the ESEA Season 58 Finals, Dust2.us reports. Dust2.us also reports that Marsborne is among the teams that have qualified for the finals. The upper-bracket semifinal opened on SportsBetExpert's Mirage pick, which they won 13-8 after leading 8-4 at half; Dust2.us notes Matthew "Cryptic" Whitmore recorded 111.2 ADR for LAG. Dust2.us says the result served as revenge for SportsBetExpert after their earlier loss to LAG at FRAG Midwest: St. Louis.

• Latest news Team Liquid miss playoffs at Logitech G Play Connect with 2-3 record

  Dust2.us reported that Team Liquid failed to reach the playoffs at Logitech G Play Connect after finishing the group stage with a 2-3 record. The outlet reported Liquid entered the event with stand-ins after Mario “malbsMd” Samoya missed the event for personal reasons and head coach Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea was absent; Serbian player Vladan “VLDN” Radević and analyst Jay “DeMars DeRover” Li replaced them. Dust2.us reported all of Liquid’s losses came against opponents ranked below the North Americans, and that VLDN averaged a 0.96 rating across five maps. The report also noted Liquid had come into the tournament following a victory in the PGL Masters Bucharest NA qualifier, where they beat NRG in the grand final.

• Latest news CS2: Wolffe announces search for a new team to practice and play regularly

  Dust2.us reports Kyle "Wolffe" Greenfield has announced he is looking for a new team that will practice and play CS2 on a regular basis. The outlet says Wolffe spent the previous two ESEA seasons playing with a casual, "for fun" stack featuring retired players such as Eric "adreN" Hoag and Peter "ptr" Gurney. Dust2.us reports his career over the past two to three years has included repeated ups and downs, multiple instances of considering retirement (most recently citing work reasons), and recurring disputes or disagreements with teammates. The site also notes prior short-term moves, including parting ways with Carpe Diem after 10 days and a benching by BLUEJAYS.

• Latest news LAG join NSTLGA Texas CS2 Open field

  LAG signed up for the NSTLGA Texas CS2 Open, claiming a spot in the three-day San Antonio LAN that currently carries a $3,750 prizepool. Dust2.us reports their entry brings the event roster to eight teams and joins notable entrants NuTorious, regain and Zomblers. According to Dust2.us, the San Antonio LAN is currently the only LAN on LAG's calendar for the rest of the year and comes a little less than two months after LAG won FRAG Midwest: St. Louis 2026. Signups remain open through October 20, and Dust2.us says four additional teams are needed to raise the prizepool to $7,500.

• Latest news Luminosity reach Logitech G Play Connect playoffs in Counter-Strike 2

  Luminosity clinched a playoffs spot at the Logitech G Play Connect Polish LAN after posting a 3-2 record in the Bo1 group stage, Dust2.us reports. Their day included wins over Metizport, M80 and Ninjas in Pyjamas, with a 13-11 victory over NIP on Ancient effectively securing the berth. Dust2.us frames the result as part of an upswing in form for Luminosity following a poor start to the organisation's time in Counter-Strike 2 and notes it follows a second-place finish at Roman Imperium Cup VIII. Had they not beaten NIP, Dust2.us says a three-way tie would have handed the remaining playoff spot to NIP.

• Latest news Wildcard reportedly to replace AWPer mhL with fr3nd, leaker claims

  Dust2.us reports that leaker Vladislav "GromovCS" Gromov claimed Wildcard will replace Miłosz "mhL" Knasiak with Sebastian "fr3nd" Kuśmierz in the starting lineup. The outlet notes mhL has been with Wildcard for nine months and that fr3nd previously played for Wildcard's main roster from July to September 2025 and for its academy team from January to July 2025. Dust2.us also reports Wildcard were eliminated from the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 Global Qualifier by BBL, and that in the online qualifier mhL posted a 1.15 rating over nine maps. The roster change is presented as a leak and has not been confirmed by the organization in the cited report.

• Latest news BC.Game win Stake Pulse Beat III Open Qualifier after seven failed attempts

  Dust2.us reports BC.Game topped the second Stake Pulse Beat III Open Qualifier to claim a spot in the event. The outlet says this ends a run of seven previous failed qualifier attempts for the team. Dust2.us details key victories in the run, including a 13-8 quarterfinal win over BRUTE where Azbayar "Senzu" Munkhbold posted 18 kills and a 1.54 FACEIT Rating, and a 13-11 win over the Polish-Danish Phantom squad in which Senzu had 25 kills. The report also notes BC.Game suffered an earlier embarrassing loss to #325-ranked XCity in an early round of the first Open Qualifier.

• Latest news FURIA rebuilding chemistry as FalleN retirement talks loom at StarSeries Fall

  FURIA rifler Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis told HLTV on the StarSeries Fall media day that the team is rebuilding their chemistry as they try to regain their best form. HLTV reports FURIA have had a labored 2026 without titles, though they reached a few grand finals including IEM Krakow and the IEM Cologne Major. YEKINDAR said the squad is focusing on identifying problems and fixing them one by one, and called it "everyone's individual responsibility to be the best version of themselves". HLTV adds that conversations about Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo's potential retirement have been prominent, but the team is attempting to stay focused amid a grueling schedule.

• Latest news Counter-Strike 2: Polymarket and NuTorious to host $500 online cup on September 20

  Dust2.us reported Polymarket and North American organization NuTorious plan to host a $500 Counter-Strike 2 online cup on September 20, 2026. The report said details are currently sparse but that NA players can register by joining Polymarket's Discord. Dust2.us said the promotion appears to include NuTorious' lineup while entrants for the Unranked event remain unknown. Dust2.us also noted this event follows Polymarket's recent sponsorships of NA groups including NuTorious, FRAG, and the iBUYPOWER Masters fl0m's Mythical LAN 2026.

• Latest news Fisher College adds LUKE4k to Counter-Strike 2 roster for collegiate play

  Dust2.us reports Fisher College has added Lucas "LUKE4k" Mizumoto to its Counter-Strike 2 squad to compete in collegiate competitions. The signing fills the vacancy left by Tommy "corn" Eckhart's graduation, Dust2.us says. Dust2.us reports Fisher decided to stop entering wider professional tournaments and will focus on collegiate events going forward. The outlet also notes Fisher's largely European lineup has been dominant in college leagues and has won multiple trophies.