CS2 has changed a lot over the years, and one of the more notable changes in recent years is the shift from Competitive mode to the Premier as the new flagship mode. But if you’re new to CS2, you probably don’t even know how the two game modes are different. To help you with that, here are all the differences between the Competitive and Premier game modes in CS2.
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Rank
Firstly, let’s talk about the ranks. The Competitive mode still uses traditional ranks that the community has been seeing in Counter-Strike for several years. These ranks start from Silver and go all the way up to Global Elite, where Global Elite represents the highest skill level. However, each player receives a different rank for each map.
On the other hand, the Premier mode uses a different approach to represent the skill level of a CS2 player. When you play a couple of Premier matches, instead of getting a rank like Gold Nova 3 or Master Guardian Elite, you get a Premier rating. It’s basically a number that represents how skilled a player is, like 25,777, where the higher the number, the higher the skill level.
Gameplay Skill Level
Other than the rank, the skill level of the Competitive game mode is also different compared to that of the Premier mode. The Premier game mode generally has a higher skill level, where players focus more on performing well and winning the match. The Competitive mode has become a bit more casual.
Unlock Process
One of the reasons why there’s such a big difference between the skill level between the Premier and Competitive game modes is the difference in their unlock process. To unlock the Competitive game mode, all you have to do is play the available game mode for a couple of hours. You don’t need to pay money.
On the flipside, the Premier game mode requires you to purchase the Prime Status Upgrade. Since playing Premier requires money, even if it’s just one time, it’s only the players that are serious about improving at the game that take that step.
Expert Take
“If you’re serious about improving, Premier mode is the better option. The map veto system, higher skill level, and MMR system make it closer to pro play. Competitive mode is more casual, with individual map ranks and open map selection, which means skill levels can vary more. Also, Premier requires Prime Status, so players are usually more invested. If your goal is to climb and track progress consistently, Premier is the way to go.” – Pawel ‘Biegan’ Bieganowski
Map Selection Process
Another major difference between Premier and Competitive game modes is the process through which players select the map they want to play on. As for the Competitive game mode, you might already know that you can simply select the map you want to play on and start searching for a match.
However, that’s not the case with the Premier mode. When you start a match of the Premier game mode, a map selection phase initiates where each team takes turns strategically banning the maps they don’t want to play on, and the match then takes place on the map that’s left in the end.
Map Pool
Lastly, the map pool or selection of maps that are available for each of the game modes is also different. In other words, the possible options that players have in CS2 for the maps they can play on are different for the Premier and Competitive game modes. However, certain options do overlap.
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Conclusion
There you have it, folks. All of the main differences between the Competitive and Premier game modes in CS2. While the ranking system, gameplay skill level, unlock process, map selection process, and map pools are different, the gameplay itself isn’t. The number of rounds and rules is the same, which means you don’t have to re-learn the gameplay rules when you decide to switch from one game mode to the other.
