CS2 fans take aim at xQc for gambling instead of playing the game

Counter-Strike 2 is now officially out for the world to see and enjoy, and with it comes an array of new features and lineups for the tactical game that we’ve loved for over a decade.

But aside from compelling gameplay, the lucrative Counter-Strike in-game skin game and economy have also transferred over, and it has become a chance for players to flex their mint-condition knives and AWPs to a renewed

Now though, the crate-opening fiasco has officially taken over the purity of playing the game, as Felix “xQc” Lengyel has started his Counter-Strike 2 life with the usual gambling stream instead of playing actual matches, and fans have taken an issue with it.

Counter-Strike 2 launches with crate-opening bonanza

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Immediately after the release of CS2, high-profile personalities have opted to get down to business with the economy, rather than enjoy the new title for all of its new gameplay tweaks.

Streamers such as Tim “TimTheTatman” Betar, Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, and xQc all chose to snub loading into a lobby and instead poured cash into the title in hopes of netting an expensive skin.

xQc in particular spent $2,600 on a Dragon Lore Trade-Up and caught an AWP worth approximately four times the amount that he invested. 

According to Jake Lucky, CS2 has already generated over $40million worth of microtransactions for crates.

xQc criticised for gambling over CS2 gameplay

The famed streamer did leave some fans in awe with his “streamer luck”, especially after unboxing some other rare knives and weapon wraps, but a large section of the CS2 community found it worrying that the gameplay was not the main focus of its launch.

Popular journalist Hunter Cooke took to Twitter to say, “There’s something very off-putting about opening up the new game that everyone’s excited about and immediately gambling instead of playing it.”

Others agreed with this sentiment too. One fan added, “I’ve seen four clips from this game and it’s all pack opening not a second of gameplay lol.”

Some pros, such as the legendary Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev have already criticised CS2 somewhat for its slow tick rate with an influx of new players on the servers, which might indicate why streamers are opting for revenue gambling streams.

But it is a worrying sign for the CS2 faithful that the gameplay isn’t exciting enough for the elite players and personalities involved in the community.