CS2 Fundamentals: Trading Kills

Counter-Strike 2 is a first-person shooter, which means, by default, one of the main goals is to rack up kills. Just like most FPS titles, CS2 is a team game, and its main competitive mode is played in a complex 5v5 bomb defusal scenario where a lot of things could happen.

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While the first instinct would always be to take care of your own character and not get yourself killed, most people tend to overlook the value in their teammates, particularly when said teammate dies, and there’s an opportunity to avenge their death instantly. This is called a trade kill.

Kill Trading in CS2 Explained

In CS2, getting a trade kill means you were able to quickly start shooting and eliminate the opponent player who just took out your teammate seconds prior. A trade kill is not necessarily an easy kill or a free kill, as superior aim and even luck have parts to play in whether or not you succeed in getting one.

Entry Fraggers are usually the players the rest of the team attempts to secure trade kills for since they are the first ones on site and, as a result, have the highest chance of dying early. Trading for kills works best when utilizing crazy angles and precise timing to catch the opposing player off guard.

How To Improve Trading Kills

It might come across as a more advanced concept for newer players, but trade kills are an extremely common practice, from online matchmaking to especially the professional teams.

First and foremost is timing. Knowing when and how much to swing out so that your character is peeking just enough to quickly counter the enemy’s actions is a solid way to secure a trade kill. Map knowledge, particularly of superior angles from which your teammate was being shot at, is also key from a positioning standpoint.

It’s important to pay attention to sound cues and other information the enemy indirectly gives off. Knowing when they’re reloading or simply out of focus can provide you with an advantage that’s nearly impossible to mess up, and in most cases, anyone who can’t immediately react to being shot at will take fatal damage.

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