'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwcQAAICAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgQABQYSIQcRFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgRAAMAAQMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAGEmEFBxEhwf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A093i/U9lbUQ65r/0Lb7ok+zCtFBfN49ymwAy7EhkOSx1wHWMZPPcCaS1FXYoG+aO3LH18xi0ZWlugxLt5Ku6jgDP/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The announcement of Counter-Strike 2 has taken the internet by storm, and YouTube Gaming star Ludwig reacted to the news during a livestream on March 23, 2023. The streamer started the conversation by mentioning Riot Games' Valorant, claiming that the fast-paced shooter was "heavily inspired" by Counter-Strike.
He then commented on Valve's business practices, stating that they "notoriously don't do s**t" and "print millions of dollars." Continuing further, Ludwig joked that CS2 might be the "final Counter-Strike," as Valve is infamous for not producing the third iteration of Half-Life.
The former Twitch streamer reacted to major announcements, including the introduction of Responsive Smokes. After seeing the social media videos, Ludwig opined that Counter-Strike 2 looks better visually and that the developers made it look more like Valorant:
"Although it doesn't seem like a huge update, it is a big visual update. The game looks a lot prettier. I think this is the easiest way to tell. The game looks, it looks gorgeous now. This is before - it's kind of dark, gloomy. Then this is after. So they kind of Valorant'ed it.
Ludwig says Counter-Strike players have "gaslit" themselves into not wanting quality-of-life improvements for the game
At the four-minute mark of his broadcast on March 23, 2023, Ludwig reacted to Counter-Strike 2's announcement. He initiated the discussion by providing his thoughts on Valve:
"Valve notoriously doesn't do s**t. All valve does is, print millions and millions of dollars, and that's it. That's about it. That's like the biggest thing that they do. They don't really update games a lot. They don't really make new games. They don't really, like, operate a lot of the esports scenes in their games. They're like a libertarian company, that's like, 'We made this s**t. Do what you want with it. But all the money comes to us at the end of the day.'"
The YouTuber explained why he believed Counter-Strike 2 would be the "final" CS:
"There's a meme that Valve never drops a third game. Which is why this will be the final Counter-Strike ever."
Ludwig then went over the announcements made on Counter-Strike 2's official Twitter handle. After seeing how Responsive Smokes worked in the new game engine, the Mogul Money Live host admitted that he hasn't played much Counter-Strike.
Timestamp: 00:04:50
He voiced his understanding, saying that Valve has not added the necessary quality-of-life updates to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive during its tenure:
"I think a lot of what CS: GO was, and I didn't play a lot of CS. I've played very little CS in my life. But from my understanding, most of what CS was, it was an amazing game that they did nothing to update or add quality-of-life adjustments to, for the decade that it's been out. Or, however long it's been out.
Ludwig went on to say that Counter-Strike players "gaslit themselves" into believing that they did not want revised game mechanics or graphics. He elaborated:
"The CS players, who play the game, have almost, like, gaslit themselves. It's almost like, Stockholm Syndrome, where they're like, 'That's how it's supposed to be! I'm not supposed to receive quality-of-life updates!' And so, anytime Valve even gives them like a little crumb, everybody's like, 'We're eating good today, baby! We are eating f**king good!'"
The conversation concluded with Ludwig teasing that Moist Moguls would be adding a professional Counter-Strike esports roster:
"I think it will play very similar to how it played before. It'll just look better and be more accessible to people. Which is a good thing. I think it's a good thing. Especially because I think we're getting a team. We're getting a Valorant team, or excuse me. CS team at Moist (Moguls)."
Fans react to Ludwig's take
The streamer's take on Counter-Strike 2 received a lot of attention, with several community members sharing their thoughts in the YouTube comments section. Here's what they had to say:
While one viewer was surprised that Ludwig was unaware of how significant the updated Smoke Grenades were, another fan claimed that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive did not require quality-of-life changes because it was the "highest quality shooter."
