Shroud clarifies comments about CS:GO “dying”

Twitch star Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek has clarified his thoughts on whether or not CS:GO is dying, explaining that competitive CSGO in North America is in a bit of a rough spot right now. 

As new first-person shooters have tried to make inroads into the competitive scene, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has still remained the king. Players are still flocking to play CS too, while viewers are still watching tournaments in their thousands.

However, like many esports, the game has hit a bit of a rough patch. No LAN action and a focus on tournaments in Europe has put North American teams in a pickle – with organizations like 100 Thieves pulling out and other boot camping across the globe. 

Previously, Shroud had stated that CS:GO was “undeniably dying,” but he’s now clarified those claims, relating it to the state of NA CS:GO. 

During his November 1 stream, the former CS:GO star had been warming up for a few games of Valorant when some of his chat asked if he’d play CS instead, while others asked for his opinion on the current state of the iconic FPS – specifically, if it was dying as he’d previously said. 

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“Do you think CS is dying? No no no, I don’t think CS is dying, I think NA CS at a competitive level has died a little bit and that’s just fact,” shroud said before expanding on his previous comment. 

“I don’t think CS is dying by no means, I think CS is very popular still, hundred percent it is. But that’s cool, throw some words in my mouth why don’t ya. Or, maybe you didn’t throw words in my mouth, maybe I misinterpreted what I said because it is very clear the NA CS is hurting. Might not be dead, but NA CS is definitely hurting, which makes me sad, we were doing so well.”

 

 

Given that North American teams are pulling out of CS, and some pros are looking elsewhere to make their mark, shroud’s take is pretty reasonable.

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He’s been critical of his former game in the past, specifically about how NA pros practice and their approach to CS, so maybe they’ll heed his advice and reinvent the wheel a little bit moving forward.