CS:GO Ranks - everything you need to know

The fact that CS:GO has built-in ranks, quite a few people may have already forgotten, and others may not have known about it at all. After all, in recent years and months, external platforms, which, according to many, offered a higher level of competition or attractive rewards, have been extremely popular. But the fact is that Valve's FPS has its own ranking system, which allows players to climb the ranks, among which the highest is, of course, the dream Global Elite.

What are CS:GO ranks?

Right at the very beginning, it is worth explaining what ranks in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive actually are. These are badges assigned to players participating in ranked matches to reflect the level they represent. The higher the assigned rank (the highest is Global Elite and the lowest is Silver I), in theory, the better the player is supposed to be.

However, the ranks are not only used to determine the level of players. Players in ranked matches are also selected based on them. The system created by the creators of CS:GO is designed to make teams as balanced as possible in the classic 5 vs 5 match, but also in other ranking modes. Valve does not want to spoil anyone's fun and make a player from Silver face players from, for example, Global Elite. In this way, everyone can compete at a level close to their own, getting maximum enjoyment.

List of ranks in CS:GO

After winning a certain number of ranking matches in CS:GO and fulfilling several other conditions, which is discussed in a later part of this article, the first rank is assigned to each player's account. Depending on the results achieved, and the level presented, this can be Silver III or Gold Nova II, for example. In total, there are as many as 18 ranks in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and this is the full list of them from the lowest to the highest:

• Silver I
• Silver II
• Silver III
• Silver IV
• Silver Elite
• Silver Elite Master
• Gold Nova I
• Gold Nova II
• Gold Nova III
• Gold Nova Master
• Master Guardian I
• Master Guardian II
• Master Guardian Elite
• Distinguished Master Guardian
• Legendary Eagle
• Legendary Eagle Master
• Supreme Master First Class
• The Global Elite

CS:GO rank vs. reaction time

GGPredict, a platform that enables effective training in CS:GO, has conducted an analysis of the reaction time among players of different ranks. As can be guessed, the lower the rank, the weaker the reaction time.

The weakest are players with the Silver I badge, whose reaction time is 300 ms, while in Silver II the average value is already close to 290 ms. Less than 10 ms of advantage seems like nothing, but in CS:GO, even such a short time can give a tremendous lead.

From the analysis conducted by GGPredict, the average reaction time of CS:GO players competing on the game's official servers is 269 ms. Better than the total average time is recorded by players from Master Guardian I and holding ranks higher than that. Players in the three highest ranks in CS:GO, that is, Legendary Eagle Master, Supreme Master First Class, and Global Elite, show the best average reaction time, which is between 255-259 ms.

If we compare the reaction times of the lowest and highest ranked CS:GO players, it's easy to see how huge the gap is - it's about 50 ms. To become a better player and get a higher CS:GO rank, it is recommended to train effectively. This can be achieved by the GGPredict platform, which offers AI coaching services and personalized training plans.

How to get your first CS:GO rank?

Especially new CS:GO players may be wondering how to get their first rank. The basic requirement for the first rank is to have Prime status. Without it, there will be no way to be assigned to any division.

It will also be necessary to obtain the second level of experience. To do this, you need to play unranked matches in various modes, for which you will be awarded a specific number of points.

Once a player has an active Prime status and has reached the second level of experience, he can finally move on to the actual stage of gaining his first rank in CS:GO. This one will be to play ranked matches, and - more precisely - to get ten victories in them. It would be best if one manages to win ten consecutive skirmishes, after all, in this way there is a greater chance of achieving a higher rank. It should be noted that in the duels, which will allow Valve to assign the right rank to the player, the player will face both Silver, Gold and Master players. The level can therefore be really diverse.

Achieving ten victories will ensure the first rank. Among novice players, it will probably not be very high, but you should not be discouraged. This is because with time you can improve your position. Gaining a higher CS:GO rank is possible by playing more ranking matches, which you can learn more about later in the article.

How to rank up in CS:GO?

Quite a few Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players are constantly dreaming of obtaining the Global Elite rank. The highest ranking is evidence of great experience and above-average skills, but getting it is not at all as easy as you might think. This is because it is necessary to devote, among other things, a lot of time to become a member of the Global Elite.

In gaining higher and higher rank in CS:GO, the key is... winning. The more victories you earn in ranked matches and the better individual statistics you achieve, the faster you will reach a higher skill group. However, as you advance, the level of your rivals and teammates will also increase, so you too will have to climb to the heights of your skills to keep pace with them and reach for more wins. At the same time, you must be prepared to be relegated to a lower division if you underperform. Therefore, there is no question of rewards only, because, as you can see, there are also "penalties" in the form of relegation.

In discussing the system of relegation and promotion in CS:GO, the whole system created by Valve cannot be overlooked. The American company has its own ELO system, which is supposed to be the heart of the entire ranking mode. Nevertheless, it has never been revealed how exactly this enigmatic system works: we don't know how many ELO points we get for victory, how many we lose in case of defeat, or how many won matches we lack to achieve a higher rank. Everything remains in the realm of conjecture and speculation.

Higher rank represents higher accuracy

Players with higher CS:GO rank boast higher accuracy. This is perfectly illustrated by an analysis conducted by GGPredict of the average number of shots that a player of a given rank must fire to score a frag.

Among Silvers, the number of shots needed to eliminate an opponent oscillates around 26. Gold Nova I is already around 25 shots, and in players with Gold Nova III the value is less than 24 shots. The best in this aspect are, of course, players from Global Elite, where the average number of shots needed to score a frag is 21.

Summary

To be among the players with the Global Elite designation is not an easy task, but the right commitment, dedication and high skills can certainly help achieve it. However, for many, even competing among Gold Nova ranked players can be rewarding and guarantee the right shot of excitement and adrenaline.