New Counter-Strike 2 update revamps matchmaking with longer queues for fairer matches

Another Counter-Strike 2 update has landed, and this time, it’s bringing significant changes to the way that matchmaking and CS rating works.

Fresh off the footsteps of the most recent patch that fixed the game’s severe hitbox misalignment issue as well as a collection of other glitches and animation inconsistencies, this October 10 update is wholly focused on enhancing the overall matchmaking experience for players.

The recent changes come as a response to the community’s feedback, especially after the game’s hitbox issue threatened to derail both its professional debut and casual ranked play. Valve acted swiftly, releasing a patch on October 9 that addressed this critical hitbox problem, which had been identified just the previous weekend.

However, now, with those most important gameplay issues sorted, Valve is turning its attention to improving the overall matchmaking experience.

Sneaky update came in!

Good news for the Premier Grinders! #CS2 pic.twitter.com/5tRwFSUWca

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 11, 2023

The matchmaking fix is the highlight of the October 10 update. Valve has decided to prioritize fairer matchups over shorter queue times.

This means players might have to wait a bit longer, but the matches they get into will have smaller rating differences between teams. This is a significant shift from the previous system, which often prioritized speed over balance.

In addition to the matchmaking adjustments, the update also brings changes to Premier mode.

Relegation and Promotion matches will now only occur at color boundaries, i.e., every 5000 CS Rating points. Furthermore, the possible CS Rating win/loss amounts have been increased, allowing players to move faster post-calibration.

Counter-Strike 2 October 10 update release notes

Matchmaking

• Matches will now be made with smaller rating differences between the teams at the expense of longer queue times.

Premier

• Relegation and Promotion matches will only occur at color boundaries, i.e. every 5000 CS Rating points.
• Increased possible CS Rating win/loss amounts to move players faster after calibration.