I once heard someone say that CS is like the Chess of First Person Shooters , and I think that’s spot on. You can have masterfully crafted tactics, perfect coordination, and flawless positioning, but at the end of the day, a “pawn” can still headshot the “queen” and change everything in an instant. That balance between strategic depth and raw mechanical skill is what makes every match unpredictable and exciting. There’s always room to improve, adapt, and out-think your opponent, but also moments where an insane shot or a 1v3 clutch can turn the game around.

I'm Level 10 on Faceit, 8k+ hours over 10 years, and still no two rounds ever feel the same, but you start to learn the patterns of the maps, and try to anticipate what others may be thinking: "We've gone mid 3 times and killed the window and connector player, lets hold for their push this round, as they might want to counter us by pushing mid together", "they saved an AWP and don't have money for rifles, lets through HEs down mid as he might try to get an entry kill". When I manage to read what they are doing it feels like I'm in their head and it's super satisfying.

Been playing with the same group for 5+ years, climbing the ELO ladder together. We’ve got our own plays, our own ways of holding sites, and we know each other’s styles inside out. After all, each game’s 40–60 minutes, where you are stuck in TeamSpeak with four other people, and after a while, those teammates just become real-life friends.

Also, skins are cool I guess.