Gaming
esports
10 tips to become a pro CS:GO player
Ankit Panth, one of India’s top gamers in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, explains how an amateur can get better at the game.
Ankit Panth is one of India’s most experienced Counter-Strike gamers.
Having consistently moved up the ranks with Team Brutality, he is now among the best CS:GO athletes in the country.
We caught up with him to ask for his tips on how an amateur can get better at the game, and maybe step up into the pro leagues and hold their own.
Here are 10 tips from Ankit Panth for anyone who wants to become a better CS:GO player.
Ankit Panth
© Ali Bharmal
1. Learn the weapons
Ankit’s advice is to first perfect the weapons that you are going to use in the game. He suggests practicing with each individual weapon in the game mode known as Deathmatch.
“If you are planning to go professional in CS:GO, I would suggest that you learn the basic weapons and their recoil patterns. Practice them with bots or play Deathmatch to improve your aim. It really helps,” says Ankit.
“Also learn long range sprays. It will help you get multi-kills in matches,” he adds.
2. Practice maps are important
Another tip for those who are looking to step up the CS:GO professional ladder: learn the maps that you are likely to see in tournaments.
“Learn the official maps because only those will be played in tournaments. There will be some maps which you would like and perform better. Make sure you use them to your advantage when playing a pro game,” says Ankit.
“Also play surf maps to improve your movement. It will help you move faster in-game and make enemies miss their shots while you spot their positions,” he adds.
3. Get the right gaming equipment
“Having the right gaming peripherals is very important in order to perform better. Make sure you have a system which gives you 250+ fps while gaming along with a 144 or 240 hertz gaming monitor. Play on a mechanical keyboard; it will help you in your game movement because no keystroke will be missed. Use a mouse with a good sensor which doesn't skip when you are in an intense match. And finally, get a premium gaming headset so that you can hear your enemies footsteps clearly and also be comfortable while marathon gaming,” advises Ankit.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
© Valve
4. Focus on your physical fitness
Ankit is known to be one of the fittest gaming professionals, not just in CS:GO but across all titles. His obsession with fitness started as a way to prove to his mother that he wouldn’t become unhealthy while gaming. But he realized that physical fitness plays a role in his profession too.
“To avoid injuries, I make sure I do my wrist and forearm exercises without fail. It will help you avoid repetitive strain injuries (which are common wrist injuries among gamers) which could ruin your professional gaming career,” says Ankit.
5. Find your resolution
Your screen resolution and in-game video settings will make a big difference to your game. “Make sure you try different video settings in-game and choose the best resolution which suits you. Once you have decided which is best for you, keep practising with it and don’t change your settings too often after,” he says.
6. Play warm-up matches
“Never go into a match without warming up. Always play Deathmatch or create an offline map with bots before starting a game,” adds Ankit.
7. Keep talking to your teammates
“Communication is very important in Counter-Strike. Make sure you are always coordinating with your teammates. Never think you can do it alone because that’s not how CS is played. Every move that you make in-game should be communicated with your team so that they can react accordingly to compliment your play,” he says.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
© Valve
8. Watch the best players to learn
Watching the streams of the top players can teach you a lot, especially from some of their better performances in competitive matches.
“Watching tournaments and your favourite player POVs will help you learn new things which you can implement in your game style. It’s always better to keep adding new things and learn the new meta of the game,” says Ankit.
9. Stick to a role that works for you
In general, each player on a CS:GO team will have a defined role for each game. The five common roles are Entry Fragger (first player to enter the fight with the opposition), Support (player who aids the team with flash bangs and smoke), Leader (player who makes the strategy and positions for each round), AWPer (player who usually shoots from range with a rifle), and Lurker (player who tends to take a different route and arrive late to the fight).
Ankit suggests that you “select a role that you like and keep practicing it”.
10. Don’t forget the utility items
There are five items that occupy the utility belt of players for both teams. These are the flashbang, the HE grenade, the smoke grenade, the molotov/incendiary grenade and the decoy grenade. They can make a huge difference to the outcome of the game depending on how they are used.
“Utility usage is very important in CS:GO. Make sure you know how to use those smokes, flashes and Molotovs. Those can win you some crucial rounds,” is Ankit’s parting advice.
