- Valve will finally add an unranked mode to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- The scrimmage will be removed and replaced with the new, less competitive mode
- Additionally, the company will simultaneously rework the non-Prime account features
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is preparing a massive update that will finally give players the long-coveted unranked mode and will tweak how non-Prime accounts work.
Unranked Mode Becomes a Reality
Valve has recently been trying its best to satisfy the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community’s needs. The company has been preoccupied with trying its best to keep its features updated, so they work in the best way possible. With this in mind, Valve announced something fans have been wanting for a long time: the arrival of an “Unranked mode.”
The unranked mode will be effectively replacing Scrimmage. It will work by matching players by their personal skill and performance without adding the Skill Groups to the equation. The less competitive take of the game will cover the Wingman, Competitive, and Danger Zone game modes.
Non-Prime Account Tweaks Change How Players are Matched
Valve will be introducing some additional changes that will affect all accounts without Prime status: Most importantly, non-Prime accounts will no longer be able to play in ranked mode at all. Instead, they will now be limited only to the unranked mode that will be available to all. Therefore only Prime accounts will be included in the ranked matchmaking.
Additionally, non-Prime players will neither gain experience points, items, ranks and skill groups, and Prime status by piling up game time, nor will they be able to use items for bonus rank experience or claim service medals.
Although people were quite happy to hear that an unranked mode is finally coming to the game, many were left quite unhappy by Valve’s decision to segregate Prime and non-Prime players in this way. Many non-Prime fans now feel like their hard work has been for nothing and that the $15 for a Prime account is a way of gatekeeping much of the community.
Valve’s intention with this separation isn’t to separate its community but to limit cheaters’ impact on the game as fraudulent practices like cheating and match-fixing are still an issue: by limiting ranked mode to Prime accounts only, that would mean that cheaters have to pay $15 for every cheating or botting account and risk losing $15 every time once such account is banned.
However, this would mean most “casual cheaters” that just cheat to win without the intention of monetizing their fraud will now plague only the non-Prime players, therefore adding up to non-Prime players’ disgruntlement.
It is yet to see how the update will affect the community and whether Valve will respond to its discontent fans. In the meantime CS: GO fans can read more about the updates on Valve’s official announcement.
