- CS2 has two different ranking systems: competitive ranks and the Premier Mode CS Rating.
- In competitive mode, players now have a rank (from Silver 1 to Global Elite) for each map
- In Premier Mode, players will receive a number between 0-35000 after winning 10 placement matches; this is their CS Rating. This changes after every match and this number is always visible.
- In Premier Mode, players cannot choose which maps they want to play; the map that gets played gets decided by a pick/ban phase.
In Counter-Strike 2, Valve will heavily focus on the Premier mode as the main way of playing competitively. This mode isn’t new to the franchise, but in CS2 it has its own ranking system (see ‘Update Adds Inferno and New MM System‘) that’s based on numbers rather than the familiar icons, meaning that CS2 ranks will look quite a bit different from CS:GO ranks.
In this article, we’ll explain how this new ranking system works.
Related reading: CS:GO Ranks – Explaining the Ranking System
CS2 Ranking System
The first thing you need to know is that in CS2, there are two types of ranks. There’s your rank in competitive mode, and then there’s your so-called ‘CS Rating’ in Premier Mode. In competitive mode (which is the mode where you can select the maps you want to play on) you still get the old ranks like we had in CS:GO, and in Premier Mode your rank is replaced by a number.
CS2 Competitive Ranks
CS2’s Competitive Mode allows you to pick the maps you want to queue for. This means that, contrary to Premier Mode (where there’s a pick and ban system and you can end up on any map in the competitive map pool) you can simply choose to avoid playing the maps you don’t know or aren’t as good on.
In CS2, you have a different rank per map. This means that players who only queue Mirage, for example, might be Global Elite on Mirage, but Silver IV on Nuke. This change was made so that players who ‘one tricked’ a certain map don’t have to play against highly ranked players on maps they almost never play.
Additionally, this new system is also a great way for players to familiarize themselves with new maps. If you’re a Global Elite who has taken a bit of a break from the game, for example, and you come back to the game when a bunch of new maps have been added, you won’t have to play against top tier players when you’re just learning the angles and callouts of those new maps. It should ensure more competitive matches in Competitive Mode.
The CS2 Competitive Mode Ranks
Silver I (S1)
Silver 2 CSGO (S2)
Silver III (S3)
Silver IV (S4)
Silver Elite (SE)
Silver Elite Master (SEM)
Gold Nova I (GN1)
Gold Nova II (GN2)
Gold Nova III (GN3)
Gold Nova Master (GNM)
Master Guardian I (MG1)
Master Guardian II (MG2)
Master Guardian Elite (MGE)
Distinguished Master Guardian (DMG)
Legendary Eagle (LE)
Legendary Eagle Master (LEM)
Supreme Master First Class (SMFC)
Global Elite (GE)
CS2 Premier Mode Rating
In Premier Mode (which is meant to be the ultimate competitive platform for CS2) the ranking/match system is different altogether.
In Premier Mode, players will go through a pick and ban phase to select the map that will be played. This is meant to mirror the professional scene, where teams have to be ready to play any map (in theory at least: lots of teams have permabans) without knowing which map will be played up front. This forces competitive players to be able to play on any map that’s currently in the active map pool, and prevents players from boosting themselves to the highest ranks by 5-stacking one single map.
Players who want to receive a CS Rating will first have to win 10 placement matches, after which you will be assigned a number from 0 to 35000. You can then compare your CS rating with your friends, your region, and the entire world.
Every time you play a match, your rating will change. If you lose, it will go down, and if you win, it will go up. The precise amounts of rating you gain or lose depends on a number of factors such as the rating of your opponent and, presumably, factors such as your personal performance.
According to Leetify, the CS2 and CS:GO ranks correspond as follows:
Silver 1 – Silver Elite Master | 0-1999 CS Rating
Gold Nova 1 – Gold Nova Master | 2000 – 5999 CS Rating
Master Guardian 1 – Master Guardian Elite | 6000-8999 CS Rating
Distinguished Master Guardian – Legendary Eagle Master | 9000 – 12999 CS Rating
Supreme | 13000 – 14999 CS Rating
Global Elite | 15000+ CS Rating
Note that CS2 is still in beta and that the CS2 rating system is brand new, so these numbers can and probably will change.
CS2 Rating – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the graphic in the Premier Mode ban phase?
The red spider graphic (as seen in the image above) indicates the map wins of your opponents in recent times. If you see that the red graphic is fully pointed towards Inferno, for example, you’ll know that a ton of your opponents’ wins in recent times have come from that map and it might be a good idea to avoid it.
The grey graphic indicates the map wins of your own team.
How many placement games do you have to play in Premier Mode in CS2?
You need to win ten matches before receiving your rating. Losses influence your rating, but do not count towards the required amount of placement games that you have to play.
Why can’t I queue with 4 people in Premier Mode in CS2?
Valve has blocked the ability to queue with 4 people in Premier Mode because it has historically presented a lot of opportunities for toxicity and trolling. A 4-stack can easily kick a random 5th player at the end of a match, for example. Players who queue with 4 people also are known to not communicate with their 5th player because they are all in Discord or Teamspeak. For these reasons, 4-stacks are currently not allowed in Premier Mode.
How many people can queue together in Premier Mode in CS2?
You can solo queue, duo queue, trio queue, or queue with five people. Queueing with 4 people is not allowed in Premier Mode.
All images in this article were taken from Valve’s Counter-Strike 2: Beyond Global video on YouTube.
