This is more or less an analyst’s rant about Counter-Strike: Source. Don't expect me to change the views of everyone in the community by talking about the hitboxes, interp, or anything crazy like that. I am here to discuss the obvious reasons why this game should not even be considered to be played at any large tournament.

The first subject that I must stress is the fact that this is NOT Counter-Strike, this is Source. This is a completely different game. Just because it has the same guns and concepts does not make it the same game. Remember all of those modifications like Urban Terror and such for the Quake 3 engine and Soldier of Fortune engine. We never called those Counter-Strike. Why start now?

Now for articles supporting source, such as alchemist's, and using the line about the old changes and how everyone learned to get used to them, that's like apples to oranges. I can honestly say that when all of the changes happened like the AWP losing the crosshair and the biggest change that people actually said they would quit over, the jump lag. These were all updates and moderate changes to the game that no real Counter-Strike enthusiast would quit for, and none did.

Now we have a completely new game and I am supposed to believe I should get used to it like jump lag? Come on.

Recently I have played a couple source scrims out of pure boredom on de_dust2 and if the greatest and most popular map in the game is this messed up, something is wrong.

First off there is the shortened routes and more wide open areas. All this is, is noob-friendly. Have you tried to snipe middle? It is like a flood gate is open rather than a skilled narrow shot.

Next the replacement of boxes for source items. I love the new half-life engine. I love shooting barrels around, but not in Counter-Strike. When I first heard about these interactive items, as an analyst it added a whole new dimension of tactics, but then you realize how they are just there for show. These have no reason to be in the game. I recall trying to play long A and not being able to watch my spot because a barrel was rolling me out of position. I don't think that should happen to two top teams competing for $50,000.

The new flashbangs. No problem. Great effect, definitely a keeper.

One of my biggest tiffs with the decision to switch to source is the fact that there are no maps for it yet. We have a bad de_dust2 and the rest of the maps are unused currently(prodigy and Aztec), or not the best competitive maps(cbble). Maybe CAL/CPL have all of the other big maps like nuke, train, and inferno in the makes, but who knows.

One of the biggest arguments is about the fact that sponsors don’t want to sponsor a 6 year old game. I was just talking to an acquaintance of mine Craig “Torbull” Levine and he brought up a great point. Well think about it from a sponsor’s perspective. Sure you don’t need the latest cards or chips to run 1.6, but who cares? Are sponsors advertising to Counter-Strike players…or gamers. Coca-Cola doesn’t have billboards at baseball games to have baseball fans drink coke, but to have their logo seen by a large audience. Eyeballs are eyeballs.

How many Counter-Strike players do you know that only play Counter-Strike? Counter-Strike players are gamers. When they see these ads and see the latest cards and chips they get them not for Counter-Strike, but for Everquest 2, World of Warcraft, Half-Life 2, etc. It is a pointless argument and all of the big sponsors understand this.

But we are now straying off of the subject. The point of this article is to merely explain that this game is NOT the game that built the community. It is nothing like it, so why change games? These tournaments have plenty of other games to grab these sponsors with, but we all know the largest numbers are coming from Counter-Strike. There is no reason to kill a community, because a new game came out.

These tournaments need to step back and look at the future of eSports rather than what car they are buying next fall.