CS2 Rank Distribution and CS:GO Comparison

CS2’s matchmaking difference is quite different from that of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, so it is important that we constantly analyze data to see how CS2 ranks distributed across players as well as how they compare to CS:GO. Thanks to various sources, especially Leetify, we have some data on CS2 rank distribution and their CS:GO comparison. Lets take a look at how CS2 ranks look as of June 2024.

CS2 Ranking System Overview

Before we dive into a CS2 rank distribution discussion, it is important that players understand how CS2 ranks work in the game’s competitive mode.. CS2 ranks operate on an ELO system called CS Rating. Players earn CS Rating from winning premier mode games, and the amount of ELO they will win or lose is determined prior to the game. This is based on your current win streak(the more games you win, the more CS Rating you will gain per win).

Ranks are currently separated into seven major categories, but CS rating spans from 1000 to 35000. Here is how the ranking system is organized:

• Light Blue Ranks: 1000-4999
• Blue Ranks: 5000-9999
• Dark Blue Ranks: 10000-14999
• Purple Ranks: 15000-19999
• Pink Ranks: 20000-24999
• Red Ranks: 25000-29999
• Yellow Ranks: 30000-35000

Premier Rank Distribution

Now that the ranking system has been established, let’s dive into the current CS2 rank distribution. As of May 2024:

The largest amount of players are currently around the 9000 CS Rating mark. More than 8.7% of 23 million tracked players fall at this rank. The largest percentage of the player base falls between 7700 and 12000 ELO, with more than 1/3 of players within these margins. Interestingly enough, more than 1/4 of the players find themselves in the lowest CS Rating range from 1000-7700, which makes up 29% of players. Just 1.2% of players are above the 20000 ELO mark, and 1.1% are between 20000 and 23000 ELO, with just 0.1% falling above the 23000 CS rating mark. Similarly, just 0.6% of players are still stuck between 1000 and 2000 ELO. More than 83% of players are below 15000 ELO. From this data, it is fair to assume that the average player is around the 10,000 CS rating mark, which seems fairly logical. Being around 2000 ELO puts you in the bottom 1% of players, while being above 20500 puts you in the top 1%.

CS:GO vs CS2 Rank Comparison

Thanks to the rank distribution data from Leetify, we can make an estimate as to what CS:GO rank is equal to each CS rating level.

29% of CS:GO players were in Silver(from Silver 1 to Silver Elite Master). From this data, we can confidently say that anything between 1000 and 7500 CS Rating is equal to the skill level of a Silver player.

33.6% of players in CS:GO were in the Gold Nova Ranks(Gold Nova 1 to Gold Nova Master). According to this data, anyone with an ELO between 7500 and 12000 is roughly equivalent to a CS:GO Gold Nova player’s skill level.

21.2% of players in CS:GO were Master Guardian(From Master Guardian 1 to Master Guardian Elite). We can infer from this information that anyone between 12k and 14k CS Rating would be Master Guardian in CS:GO

Just 12.4% of players in CS:GO ranked between Distinguished Master Guardian and Legendary Eagle Master. This would mean that the ELO range between 15000 and 18500 is roughly equivalent to this range of ranks.

2.6% of players ended CS:GO at Supreme Master First Class. This would mean that the small range of players between 18500 and 20000 have the skill level of an SMFC player.

Last but not least are the 1.2% of players who made it to the Global Elite status in CS:GO. This means that anyone above 20000 ELO in CS2 would likely be a Global Elite in CS:GO.

How Reliable is this Data?

It is important to note that this data may not be perfectly reliable. CS2’s ranking system is definitely not ideal, and it is more than possible that an average 20000 CS Rating player would never make it to the iconic Global Elite status in CS:GO. Similarly, many former Gold Nova players and even some Master Guardian players may currently be at 7500 ELO. However, this data is the closest we can get to comparisons between premier rank distribution and CS:GO’s ranks.

Along with this, a notable portion of players from 15000 ELO and up are cheating. CS2 is currently suffering from a huge cheating problem, and it is more than possible that close to 5% of players above 15k are cheating based on reports from players. However, just as our premier mode rating distribution may not be accurate, these accounts of cheaters may be equally inaccurate. At the end of the day, you should only care about one thing: your own skill. Who cares where you fall in the pack or how far you have to go to reach the equivalent of your CS:GO rank? The only thing that should matter to you is your own rank, and as long as you are making progress, then you are playing the game right, and you should continue to do so. Comparison will often lead to disappointment, but improvement will lead to nothing but pride.