CS2 reportedly plans major matchmaking changes: Short match removed, Competitive mode adopts MR12, and more

CS2 receives matchmaking changes (Image via Sportskeeda)

CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) recently received a fresh update, bringing a few significant changes to the matchmaking system. The overall competitive experience may feel different due to the altered ruleset that each ranked lobby has to follow. However, the game is currently being tested with limited players and in a controlled environment.

CS2 may or may not be released publicly with all the changes and updates that are currently being deployed. But the most recent matchmaking adjustments seem to be crucial to form the upcoming competitive scene.

Let us take a closer look at the most recent Counter-Strike 2 update.

CS2 removes short matches and updates ranked lobbies for MR12

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CS2 is not available for the entire community but rapidly expanding to gather more game data. This is also a key factor that the developer utilizes to implement new updates throughout the title's lifetime. However, the most recent changes directly affected the matchmaking system and the format of the online lobbies.

Here is a brief of the updates that arrive in Counter-Strike 2.

The playlist will not have Short Competitive matches.
The Competitive matches, including Premiere, will have fewer rounds and require either team to win 13 rounds to secure victory.
All Premiere matches will have a total of four 30-second timeouts, 20 seconds of freezetime, and one Overtime. The match ends if both teams tie in the Overtime.

This could also hint at future developments where the professional CS2 competitive scene might adopt the MR12 (Maximum Rounds 12) format. This means there would be 12 rounds for each half, and the team that secures 13 rounds first wins the match. This is already a running idea in the esports scene of Valorant.

The short matches being removed from the competitive playlist is a major step. This is primarily because most players prefer playing the shorter version as a quick competitive match. The developer may have gauged the numbers and introduced the MR12 format for both Competitive and Premiere matches.

The inclusion of four timeouts could mean that each side receives a total of two timeouts per half. The freezetime of 20 seconds seems normal as it has been an experience that all players have from the sequel. It is important to note that these timeouts are the ones that players can vote for and not the ones that Counter-Strike 2 might automatically trigger due to player disconnect.

Considering that CS2 is in a continuous development phase, the developer can implement a series of rapid changes as an experiment. These can be later revised before the official launch or obliterated. The most recent update may be a part of such a test to gather more data and player feedback for Counter-Strike 2.

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