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CS2 feels like a Work in Progress, but that’s okay

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Since the earliest days of esports in the region, Counter-Strike has been one of the most popular games to play, together with perhaps Dota 2 and later, League of Legends and FIFA (EA FC). But since the early days of CS, plenty has changed in the game and its latest iteration, CS2, is still not as polished as many hoped. Still, that is perfectly fine (for the most part), since it’s just a case of history repeating itself.

It’s also perfectly fine to apply for the CS2 Weekly tournaments in the A1 Adria League. 

It’s interesting – almost every Counter-Strike started out broken. In the early days of CS:GO, players said that recoil was random, hitboxes did not feel right, and more. After a decade, the game was fixed and now we can’t even remember what was wrong at start. We could go so far as to say that every real Counter-Strike game needs to be messed up in some way in order to be good later.

Despite Valve’s (medium) effort to fix the issues that CS2 has right now, the game is still pretty rough around the edges when compared to CS:GO. For example, players are having trouble with the overal “feel” of the game, despite it looking almost the same as CS:GO, and Reddit and other social media websites are full with critics saying that the movement is worse, the servers are terrible and the anticheat is non-existent. FACEIT does help with this, but this is a third-party fix for some of the things related to competing. 

There is hope

Still, a lot is good with CS2, and some of these things are taken for granted. For example, the new engine provides much better graphics and overall feel, and will continue to work well for years, allowing Valve to upgrade the game visually for years. CS:GO did not look bad at all in its last days for a game that was a decade old, and we feel like the new engine will do the same. Apart from that, Valve does work on the game, and small updates and fixes are always coming. The issue is that some of the things that the community hates are very big parts of the game, and can not be sorted by small fixes easily. But, as with any CS, there is time.

For the A1 Adria League, CS is one of the staples, and a game that we all personally enjoy playing and watching. It has provided us with some of the league’s best and most dramatic moments, and despite it being a bit rough around the edges, we still love CS2 (and it is not because we have no other options.)

The Weekly tournaments in CS2 are starting soon, so make sure you apply through the landing page of the game and try your luck against the best in the region.

How to compete in the A1 Student eChallenge

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In the last few articles, we’ve talked a lot about the prize pools, the format and other details of the A1 Adria League Weekly tournaments, aimed to bridge the gap between the 14th and the 15th season as a big change for 2025.

When it comes to the A1 Student eChallenge or A1SeC, not much has changed, and we’re sticking with two seasons of the tournament in 2025. A1 Hrvatska is once again partnering with universities across Croatia to provide students with a way to represent their college in their favourite game. 

Apply now!

What are the games (and the prizes)

The first A1 SeC of the year (spring) will have an overall prize pool of €3,150, distributed across four games: Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC and League of Legends. 

The CS2 tournament will have a €1,125 prize pool with €500 going to the winners, same as the League of Legends tournament. EA FC will have a total prize pool of €225, and Rocket League will have a prize pool of €300. The main idea is to have the winners go home with €100 per person for the first A1 SeC of the season. 

Who is eligible to compete? 

Any and all students are eligible to compete, but there are rules in place for team-based sports:

 

  • All universities from Croatia are eligible to compete
  • Students need to be from Croatia (exchange students are not eligible for competing)
  • Multiple teams from one institution can apply
  • For CS2, four players must be from the same institution, with one player allowed outside the institution (4+1)

When are the competitions taking place?

EA FC

Qualifiers: 19.04.2025., and 20.04.2025. 

Finals: 24.04.2025.

The qualifiers will be hosted in a single-elimination format, best-of-1 with a best-of-3 decider match. The best 2 players from both qualifiers advance to the finals. 

Rocket League

Qualifiers: 03.05.2025., and 04.05.2025.

Finals: 08.05.2025.

The best two players from each qualifier advance. The finals are best-of-5 with an advantage for the upper bracket team.

League of Legends

Qualifiers: 17.05.2025. and 18.05.2025. 

Finals: 22.05.2025.

Top two teams from each qualifiers advance to the finals for a BO3 single elimination round with a third place decider match.

CS2

Qualifiers: 23.05.2025. and 30.05.2025.

Finals: 05.06.2025.

The same format applies as with League of Legends. Two teams advance from each qualifier, with a BO3 final and a decider match taking place on the final day. 

How to apply

To apply for the competitions, all interested students can fill out the details in the submission form, and the captains and EA FC players will then be added to the official Discord server for further information. 

 

How much can you earn by playing in A1 Adria League Weekly?

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We know –  everyone reading this does not think about money when playing competitive esports and A1 Adria League, and your primary motivation is to win just for the sake of winning, right? Still, there’s more going on than simply having us shake your hand and say you are great. Every year, we’re trying hard to improve the prize money so teams and players are better rewarded for their efforts in the League.

This year, the total prize pool will be over €40,000, where the Weekly cups will be €10,550, and an additional €3,150 will go to the best teams in the A1 Student eChallenge. The applications are open to anyone interested! 

The prize pool allocation depends on several factors, the most notable being whether the winner is a single player or a team. This is why team sports prizes, such as League of Legends, Brawl Stars, and PUBG, are larger than EA FC Mobile and EA FC prizes. Let’s dissect the prize pools further for each game according to the number of players participating. 

CS2

The most lucrative tournament to win this year is, as always, Counter-Strike. For the weekly cups, we’ve allocated a total of €3,000 in prize money, which translates to €300 per player in the winning team. The second-place team gets €1,000, and the third-place team will earn €500, or €100 per player. 

League of Legends and PUBG

For LoL and PUBG, we allocated €1,500 for each game, meaning that the winners get €800, second-placed teams get €500, and the third-place team gets €200. It should be noted that PUBG is played in squads of four players, with one substitution player allowed. 

Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is played in teams of three players, and the prize pool for the Weekly cups stands at €1,350, with €600 going to the winners, €450 to the second-placed team and €300 to the third-placed team. 

EA FC Mobile

EA’s mobile football simulator has proven to be a popular choice in the A1 Adria League. It’s the only title that will have two separate Weekly tournaments, one at the start of the Weekly tournaments and one at the very end. Both Weeklies will have the same prize pools, with €800 distributed to the top three players of both events. The winners will each get €400, the second-placed players will receive €250 each, and the third-place players will get €150. 

EA FC and eFootball

For the two “main” football simulators, both globally and in the A1 Adria League, we’ve kept the prize pools the same as with EA FC Mobile. This means that the winner in both eFootball and EA FC gets €400, second place will earn you €250 and finishing third is rewarded with €150. 

A1 Student eChallenge

For our student competition for Spring, € 3,150 will be awarded to the best teams and players in four games: CS2, Rocket League, League of Legends, and EA FC. 

CS2: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Rocket League: €675 (1st place €300, 2nd place €225, 3rd place €150)

EA SPORTS FC: €225 (1st place €100 2nd place €75, 3rd place €50)

League of Legends: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Applications are open for the Weekly cups, so pick your game and get ready for exciting tournaments across all the games! 

Announcing the A1 Adria League plans for 2025

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After a thrilling LAN final last November and the conclusion of the 14th season of your favourite regional esports league, we are back with more in 2025. This year, we’ve made several notable changes to the tournament structure to improve the overall experience, while not dialing down on the best parts that made the league one of the premier destinations for esports in the region since our first season back in 2017. Since then, many of our players went on to achieve great success globally, the prize pool has steadily increased, and so did the number of titles on offer. Today, we’re taking the next step.

What’s new?

The A1 Adria League had two seasons per calendar year for a long time. The year’s first season was smaller in scope and took place online, while the fall season concluded on the Reboot InfoGamer in November as a large LAN event. To streamline the year for players and teams and increase the league’s overall quality, we are happy to announce an evolution of the dual-season format, called the A1 Adria League Weekly. For players and teams, nothing grand will change: there will still be dozens of matches to be played during spring in several games and rewards to earn for both individuals and teams. The new format aims to build on our past experiences and successes while responding to the feedback of the players and the community and putting a greater focus on the LAN finals later in the year. The Weekly tournaments will still serve as proving grounds for the ‘big’ season later in the year, albeit with a new name and a slightly tweaked format.

We are also happy to continue investing in the A1 Adria League Student eChallenge (A1 SeC), our student-focused esports competition, which will be featured in both the spring and fall tournaments in 2025. The A1 SeC has been a staple of the League since its inception, and we’re incredibly happy to keep the student competitions through both the Weekly tournaments and the 15th season.

The total prize pool for the Weekly tournaments will be €13,700, with €10,550 divided between the best teams and players of the regular tournaments and €3,150 going to the A1 SeC.

We’re starting things off in early April, and the weekly events will last until mid-June.

What games will be played?

While shuffling things around, we’re sticking to some known favourites for the Weekly tournaments. For the Weekly tournaments, players will compete in EA SPORTS FC Mobile (EA FC Mobile) as well as the regular EA SPORTS FC (EA FC), League of Legends, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Brawl Stars, eFootball: PES and Counter-Strike 2. The selection of games reflects our interest for mobile, PC and console players and aims to provide a good balance between global super hits such as CS2 and LoL and regional favourites EA FC and Brawl Stars.

What about Season 15?

We’re working hard to enhance and improve the overall experience for everyone involved for our milestone season 15, which will still keep the long-standing format we are all familiar with, together with dozens of hours of air time, some of the region’s best players, panel discussions, interviews and audience activities. More of everything is coming our way. We aim to tweak the format once again according to the information we received from both viewers and teams. Still, you can expect the season to feature fan-favourites EA FC and CS2, as well as other games, and we are happy to announce that the LAN finals will take place during the Reboot InfoGamer in November. We’ll share further details and enhancements for the 15th season as it approaches – but it will certainly be bigger and better than any before it.

Looking ahead, we invite everyone to apply for the Weekly tournaments in the mentioned games, and wish everyone the best of luck in the initial competitions!

A1AL Playoffs: LAN spots secured in Brawl Stars, EAFC25, FC Mobile, and CS2

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The A1AL playoff stage is coming to an end slowly but surely, and the LAN finale in Zagreb is just around the corner. Another A1 Adria League group stage round was played this weekend. Some players and teams even secured their spot at the 14th season LAN event. Read on to learn how each team performed, and who we’re seeing at the event in Brawl Stars, EAFC25, FC Mobile, and CS2.

Frutas secured a LAN spot in the Brawl Stars A1AL competition

Another group stage round was played and the matches were more than interesting. We saw a lot of exciting clashes between Brawl Stars contestants. Already, we have a team that will be attending LAN, and it’s Frutas, our most awarded BS team in the league and the title defender.

The first match of the day was Frutas against Fantastic eSports (ex 76ers). In an exciting Brawl Stars, El Classico for A1AL, Frutas, and Fantastic eSports—two of the top teams—finally clashed in the Swiss phase. While Frutas ultimately dominated the sets, Fantastic briefly kept fans on edge with an opening win in the Brawl Ball set. For a moment, it seemed they might take the match, but once Frutas hit their stride, it was effectively over for Fantastic, who were outplayed in the remaining sets.

The second match between FBI and Team Cherry was the most intense showdown yet. Although FBI came in as favorites, Team Cherry bounced back from a 2:1 deficit in the sets, flipping the match in their favor with a decisive win in the final Hot Zone set.

The third match of the day finished with team Maestros going home empty-handed. However, despite entering as underdogs, Maestros left the tournament with their heads held high. They put up a strong fight and scored their first Swiss victory in the Gem Grab set. However, LA Masia proved too powerful, finishing them off in the Knockout round.

Last but not least, Gospodin Adry took on Delulu. The biggest upset of the day was this match, where Delulu emerged as an unexpected powerhouse. Though Mr. Adry was expected to win, Delulu, with standout plays from MVP Anton, claimed a sweeping 3:0 victory.

Brawl Stars results, Frutas going to LAN event

The best four FC Mobile players decided

In the top 8 stage that was played this weekend in FC Mobile, 66 goals were scored across 17 matches. Somzi became the first semi-finalist, comfortably defeating Sava 3:0 overall. He was soon joined by Shaq, the two-time Adria A1 champion, who won his first two matches with scores of 2:0 and 2:1. Although Shaq lost the third match 2:1 to Jaha, who scored impressive goals with Harry Kane, the fourth and fifth matches were thrilling, ending 1:1 and 3:3 without a winner.

The next semi-finalist emerged after a lengthy battle between Nikolas and Havertz, who played six matches. Known globally as an H2H player, Nikolas struggled initially, losing the first match due to Havertz’s formidable Marc Van Basten and precise Heel-to-heel moves. However, he bounced back, winning two matches 3:1 each. After Havertz claimed the fifth match, Nikolas clinched the sixth with a 4:2 victory, securing his LAN spot.

The final semi-finalist, Lazar, recovered from an initial loss to Mahir by winning the next three matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding only one, with 5:1, 5:0, and 1:0 results. He completes the FC Mobile A1AL line-up heading to Zagreb.

FC Mobile group stage results Top 4

Brstimir and Hara from EAFC Group A go to LAN

Today’s group stage was filled with intense, high-quality matches featuring Hara, Brstimir, Amcos, and Cla Tuna. The top performers, Brstimir and Hara, secured their spots for the LAN tournament in Zagreb, showcasing impressive scoring skills. Brstimir finished at the top with 16 points, followed by Hara with 13 points. Both are set to compete at the LAN event in Zagreb with the best of the best.

The first two matches of this A1AL round in EAFC25 were played between Brstimir and Hara. These opening games set a competitive, defensive tone. In their first matchup, Hara equalized with a 91st-minute goal, earning him his reputation as the “king of extra time” for his clutch goals. The game ended 1:1, but Brstimir took the second match with a 2:1 win. Hara then faced Cla Tuna, winning the first match 2:1 and dominating the second with a 3:0 finish. This definitely highlighted his strong form.

Hara also played in the fifth match of the day, this time against Amcos. In that final match of the day, Amcos controlled much of the play, but Hara managed a narrow 1:0 victory, thanks to some remarkable saves from Kasper Schmeichel.

Once again the MVP of this round was Brstimir with five wins, one draw, and zero losses. He scored 20 goals and conceded only six while showcasing his 4-4-1-1 formation.

Next week we will watch Group B matches, and see who will join Brstimir and Hara in the top 4! Stay tuned for more.

A1AL EAFC25 Brstimir and Hara secure LAN S14

Juggernauts and Z10 will play at the A1AL S14 LAN event

Two best-of-three (BO3) upper bracket semi-finals delivered a total of six maps, with each match reaching its final round in an intense battle to the end. Two of the teams that were better than their opponents were Juggernauts and Zero Tenacity who are going to compete in the A1AL S14 LAN finale.

The first duel was Juggernauts vs Kubix. Kubix secured the first map, Dust2, with a score of 13:8 after a strong second-half performance, reminding everyone of their championship status from last season. However, Juggernauts claimed victory on the remaining maps, Mirage and Inferno, after a hard-fought battle. Despite Kubix’s aggressive style, Juggernauts held their ground, ultimately winning 2:1 and sending Kubix to the lower bracket. They will still have a chance to secure their spot in the finals, so nothing is lost yet for Kubix.

In the second BO3 duel, Z10 took on the team 0 to 100. Zero Tenacity dominated their pick, Anubis, opening with 10 consecutive rounds and finishing the half nearly perfectly at 10:2. Although 0 to 100 pushed back in tighter rounds, Zero Tenacity won with a final score of 13:6. The second map, Mirage, was chosen by 0 to 100. They proved Zero Tenacity could be outplayed, securing a close 13:10 victory. The decider map, Inferno, was tense, with both teams exchanging leads. Nemanja, the day’s MVP, struggled alongside Simke to guard the B site, but they held firm in critical moments. This led Zero Tenacity to a narrow win.

CS2 A1AL S14 results

What A1AL pros play in their free time

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Esports as an industry can be very demanding and pro players spend every second of their time improving and mastering their game. However, beneath the surface of intense training, some players like to unwind and relax with a different game. We asked our A1 Adria League participants if they play a game in other genres, which games they play, and why. Read on to learn more about some of A1AL’s competitors in Brawl Stars, CS2, EAFC, and FC Mobile.

Somzi and Nikolas talk about their FC Mobile’s nostalgic beginnings

Two of our best players in the 14th A1 Adria League season after the qualifiers are Nikola “Nikolas7” Seočanac and Miša “SPK_somzi” Todorović. I sat down with them and we talked about the importance of FIFA for both of these players.

I’m currently competing in EA FC Mobile, a game I discovered about five years ago. I was most impressed by the concept of the game, as well as the community where I met many good players with whom I played many nice matches in various tournaments. The biggest advantage of this game is that I can play anywhere using only my phone.

Apart from EA FC Mobile, I spent a lot of time playing CS 1.6 and CS: GO, where one of my favorite moments was when we won the gaming room for our faculty. I am also a big fan of sports games such as Football Manager, NBA, PES, and EA FC. One interesting thing is that I still remember part of the CD-KEY for FIFA 2004, said Somzi from Spartak Subotica eSport.

Nikolas7 also shared a part of his humble beginnings and a lot of us can relate to his experience.

It simply had to be a football game! I’ve been a fan of football pictures ever since I was little, and I spent every penny on opening bags looking for toothy Ronaldo, as we called him at the time, to finally finish the album. After that, we would all go and play football together outside, trade duplicate cards while being all muddy. The reflection of these childhood memories I saw in EA FC games, but of course now there is little time for the platform so we play the mobile version wherever we go.

However, ideally, it still reminds of collecting your favorite cards by creating your unique dream team and competing with others, and making new friendships along the way. Finally, I would like to wish all the participants of the top 16 phase good luck and encourage new ones to join next season as well, said this Youtuber, A1AL player and ex caster.

Nemanja Misko dedicated to the A1AL

Another football game in our arsenal is of course EAFC which has been featured in the A1AL since the fifth season. And so far one of the best, who finished first in the qualifiers, is Nemanja “Nemanja_Misko” Mišić. He told me that he only plays EAFC and that the A1 Adria League encourages him to do so even more.

I started playing FIFA from a young age. I was 7 years old. My dad bought me my first FIFA and from then on I had a desire to win tournaments and competitions. A few years ago, I started playing this game seriously and competitively, and the first serious tournament was the A1 Adria League. I have a clear goal in front of me and I fantasize and dream about becoming the best in the world one day.

There were a lot of difficult moments and losses, but if I’ve learned something in life, it’s that you should never give up and always push on and give your best. I would like to one day lift the A1 Adria league cup and in the future continue to play the best I can and achieve all my dreams and goals.

CS2 and BS pro players share their gaming focus

Apart from EAFC, a CS2 player and a member of team Kubix Atif “gejmzilla” Mustafa also gave his short comment on what he does in his free time.

I only play Sid Meier’s Civilization VI apart from CS. I like the game a lot and it helps me take a break from CS from time to time – short and direct from gejmzilla!

Furthermore, I wanted to know what Nikola “DzonDzon” Brajković, one of the most successful Brawl Stars players in A1AL, plays and his view on this. As you know, Frutas has been dominating the regional scene for quite a few years, and they don’t look like they are anywhere near the end. So when DzonDzon told me he is dedicated only to Brawl Stars I wasn’t surprised.

Most of the time I only play Brawl Stars because to be the best and among the best, you have to be active and dedicated to only one thing, so I don’t really have time to play anything besides that. I’m not a big fan of games in general, but Brawl Stars offered something that I hadn’t had the chance to play on a tablet before, said our seven time A1AL winner.

14th A1AL season kicks off: Qualifiers wrap up and top teams emerge

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The league can finally start! The qualifiers of the 14th A1 Adria League season are over in all our main games. While CS2 already began the group stage part of the competition, Brawl Stars, EAFC24/25, and FC Mobile competitors can do that next week. The best have secured the top 16 or top 8 in the A1AL, depending on the game and the competition is as fierce as ever. Read on to learn what happened in the fourth and last qualifiers and who made the cut.

Frutas move to A1AL groups as first place

It sounds like the 14th season of A1AL had some intense matchups! In the fourth A1AL qualifier in the Brawl Stars competition, FBI really made waves by defeating top teams like Team Cherry, La Masia, and OMERTA, proving they had what it takes to compete at a high level. Their journey to the playoffs was certainly impressive.

On the other hand, Salada showed remarkable consistency, bouncing back strong after their previous loss to the 76ers. Winning every match 2:0 leading up to the final showcases their dominance, and defeating the 76ers 3:0 must have felt like a statement victory.

The final between FBI and Salada was a thrilling matchup. Although FBI had a fantastic run, Salada’s experience and skill ultimately led them to victory with a solid 3:1 finish. It’s always exciting to see how these tournaments unfold, especially with such fierce competition!

After all four qualifiers, Salada came on top and ended this stage with 77 points, followed by the 76ers with 55, Gospodin Adry with 30, and the FBI with 20 respectively. Other teams that also made it through are Delulu, OMERTA, Team Cherry, and La Masia.

S14 A1AL fourth qualifier Brawl Stars

Nikolas with 300 points advances to the group stage in FC Mobile

The fourth qualification round of FC Mobile was filled with unparalleled excitement, featuring unexpected twists and thrilling moments. During the stream, SPK_somzi emerged victorious, where casters famously stated that it was “better to lose against him than to lead.” Remarkably, he staged comebacks in every match he lost during the top 8 stages, securing him the second spot in the final standings, just behind Nikolas7, who missed the chance to become the first player to win two qualifying tournaments.

Finishing in third place was Nedox, who eliminated two-time champion SHAQ in the quarter-finals. Rounding out the top four was RAB_MahirSarajlić, who struggled to recover from the defeat dealt by Somzi in the semi-finals. These qualifiers were really tough for all players as there were a whopping 260 players signed up. In the end, the ones who showed consistency and great performance throughout this whole qualification stage made it to groups.

Nikolas secured groups with 300 points in the first place, followed by Somzi with 280, Lazar from Buducnost with 270, and our two-time A1AL champion SHAQ with 220. Their place in the best 16 of FC Mobile also found Iky, Haverz, Skrebo, and HugoBoss. For the top 16 follow our social media accounts where there will be more updates!

S14 A1AL fourth qualifier FC Mobile

These are the best eight EAFC players in the A1AL

Though the qualifier featured a smaller player pool, the competition was fierce. As this was the final qualifier, the pressure was immense for those still vying for a spot. CLA_Banderas proved that his impressive performance in last season’s finale was no fluke. Ante “CLA_Banderas” Tolj once again secured his spot among the top competitors. He won the fourth qualifier and 100 points securing his place in groups.

Players like Djordje “Jasik” Cumbo seized this last opportunity, but it came as a shock when regional champion Tarik “Novo” Novo and top contender Filip “Cyber_Fico” Babić, who has been in great form in international tournaments, failed to make it into the top 16.

Now that all the qualifiers are finished the top spot went into the hands of Nemanja Misko who has 130 points overall. He is followed by CLA_TheProdigy with 120 points, and Game On Marac, CLA_Banderas, and Hara, all with 110 points. Their spot in the top eight also secured 10th A1AL champion Gruby, our veteran brstimir, and AmcoS.

We will look forward to the final list of the best 16 competitors and the upcoming group stage draw. Additionally, we’re gearing up for EAFC25, which is set to bring numerous changes.

EAFC24 fourth qualifier results

Z10 and 0 to 100 snatch first wins in CS2 group stage

As CS2 competition only had three qualifiers their group stage began one week earlier. We saw two duels this Sunday. One was played between team 0 to 100 and MAX Team (previously GornjiDonji), while the other was Zero Tenacity vs GOT.

The day kicked off with an exciting BO3 match between the 0 to 100 team and MAX team. After each team secured their picks on Mirage and Anubis, the final showdown took place on Dust2. Despite missing their captain Neno, 0 to 100 dominated the match, finishing with a 13:5 victory and sending MAX team to the lower bracket. Team 0 to 100 was very dominant in their victories, besides the mentioned 13:5 victory they won the first map with 13:6. On the other hand, MAX’s victory was a lot closer with a 13:9 score.

The second BO3 of the day featured a surprisingly strong challenge from the GOT team, but Z10 ultimately showcased their skill by securing a 2-0 victory. With final scores of 13:7 and 13:10, it was clear that Zero 10 isn’t unbeatable, leaving room for other teams to find opportunities against them. Unfortunately for the determined GOT team, they will need to continue their campaign through the lower bracket.

Next week we will continue with the CS2 group stage matches, so stay tuned and don’t forget to follow our streams on YouTube and Twitch!

CS2 playoff stage results

From Half-Life mod to CS2: a brief history of Counter-Strike

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A1 Adria League has been hosting tournaments in CS since its inception in 2017. Counter-Strike is our main game, the most competitive and with the highest prize pool. In the A1AL teams have been competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) up until recently when CS2 entered the scene. Today, this game is one of the most popular, if not the most popular and known FPS games. Its esports scene is also one of the largest, so I think it’s time to look at how the game became so big and its evolution.

From Mod to the most popular FPS

Counter-Strike is one of those games where once you get hooked there is no stopping. It all started in 1999 when Counter-Strike was just a mod for Valve’s groundbreaking first-person shooter, Half-Life. This was when the strategic angle was put in the spotlight.  It was a tactical multiplayer strategy mod where you could choose to be either a terrorist or a counter-terrorist.

Since the game was pretty popular, the developers decided to release Counter Strike 1.0 just one year later. The new version brought new weapons, maps and of course, the gameplay was improved. Things were even more improving with the release of its third version Counter Strike 1.3. This was when the esports scene was starting to form.

I asked the A1 Adria League project manager Leonardo Bujas to tell me more about the history of Counter since he was there since the beginning.

With the release of Half-Life, we finally got a new first-person shooter, at the time so realistic that we couldn’t stop playing single player missions, and playing together in the arcade became a daily routine. Counter-Strike was a very fun mode because it was more realistic than HL (more realistic guns, shooting, you had to use tactics because you played as a team and not solo, etc.), so we also learned to play it better and better every day.

Beta versions 5.0, 6.0 and 7.1 brought something new each time, and with the release of the first full version of CS 1.0, various tournaments began to be held. Versions 1.3-1.5 saw their full bloom and Counter-Strike experienced a worldwide boom. ClanBase was then a platform where various tournaments were played on a daily basis, and the first ones that remain in my memory are the Nations Cup tournaments where the “representations” of the countries of that time played.

Now this was all before my time, but the version which I first played was 1.6. This version appeared in 2003 and to this date is one of the most played games. It’s a nostalgic game that brings back many memories. Looking at those old maps, I can’t decide which one was more fun to play, Dust, Dust 2, or Aztec.

With faster internet and the release of Counter-Strike 1.6, and the transfer of all players to the Steam platform, it became easier to find servers and play on public servers against players from all over the world. For some, it was a step towards a playing career, and CS will definitely gain the greatest popularity, which it has retained to this day. Fragmovies, videos with presentations of clans of the time, huge LAN parties, big tournaments, portals with news and interviews – internet is officially infected with a virus called CS.

For many years, we watched the dominance of Scandinavian countries in CS 1.6 tournaments, which was (and for some still is) the best version of CS that existed.

Counter-Strike 1.6 Aztec

Counter-Strike 1.6 was improved and optimized, it was suited for both competitive and casual players. The mechanics were refined, maps adjusted and it included for the first time a silenced rifle M4A1-S.

After two more versions, Condition Zero and Source, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released and the esports scene exploded with the creation of ESL and Dream Hack tournaments. This game featured updated graphics, new game modes, and improved matchmaking. The introduction of weapon skins and the market system added a new layer of engagement, which made the game even more popular.

At the beginning, there were a lot of “bugs” that bothered the players, but Valve decided to go in that direction and release improvements every 2 weeks to address all the problems that existed. CS was the most played and the biggest FPS in the world in this period as well, experiencing many peaks and all-time highs in the number of players, the number of viewers of live broadcasts, the number of tournaments and prize funds, etc. As time went on and other new games came out with much nicer graphics and new mechanics, CS stagnated a bit, because it was not attractive to new players, and old players stopped playing.

CSGO skins

CS: GO Danger Zone and Operation Riptide have come and gone, and in 2023 Valve released a huge bomb on the audience and brought us Counter Strike 2. The game showcased improved graphics, enhanced mechanics, better matchmaking, more regular updates and feedback from the community, and many more.

Like any big change, CS2 was met with a lot of disapproval from players who have been playing CS:GO for a long time, “bugs” in the game, the changes did not go well, and especially the big noise was about the fact that Valve decided to just shut down the old CS: GO and force all organizers and players to play the new CS2, which according to many was not ready yet. But, as in the previous iterations, the biggest mistakes were slowly corrected with regular updates, and more and more players realize the potential of the new mechanics that have been added to the game and return to playing.

The king is dead, long live the king. Today, the king of first-person shooters CS2 is still at the top in terms of the number of players and viewers, counting 900k to 1.2 million players per day on average, while the highest number it ever had was 1.8 million players simultaneously. Looking at the tournaments that are being organized now, the prize funds, the production, the look of arenas where the tournaments are held in and of course all the fans who come to support the teams they are rooting for, we have nothing left but to shiver and bow down to the king – CS.

Explosive start of the new A1AL season in the first qualifiers!

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Season 14 of A1AL has started and competitors from CS2, Brawl Stars, and EAFC played their first qualifier cups. We have seen some surprises and some expected triumphs this weekend. The competition is fierce this year and we already have a lot of strong players and teams signed up. Each qualifier will be of utmost importance as this season you will want to secure your group stage spot as soon as possible. Read on to see the results of the first A1 Adria League qualifier.

S13 finale in the first Brawl Stars qualifier

Brawlers were the first to open the 14th season of A1AL. Many familiar teams competed. From our champions Salada and vice champions OBII (now going under 76ers), to Delulu, OMERTA, Team Cherry, FBI, and many more. The games were pretty clean up until finals where all five matches were played. But let’s start from the beginning.

On the one side of the bracket, OMERTA and Delulu were doing very well until they ran into Salada who won 2:0 against both teams. Gertrude, a new team with familiar players, did give Salada some resistance in the semifinals but not enough for them to win. With a 2:1 win Salada secured a spot in the finals.

On the other bracket side, team GospodinAdry, made out of previous A1AL champions, was demolishing competition. However, in the semifinals they lost against S13 vice champions 76ers with a 2:0 score. This brings us to the finals where we saw a replay of last seasons finale. The 76ers really gave their best to defeat Salada but in the end, our champions prevailed winning with a 3:2 score and securing a maximum of 20 points.

The second BS qualifier will be played on the 20th, so make sure to sign up HERE!

Brawl Stars Q1 A1AL S14

Nikolas7 wins the first A1AL EAFC24 Mobile qualifier

FC Mobile or EAFC24 Mobile is once again a big hit in the A1 Adria League. Just from the first qualifier, we can see how tight the competition will be considering a total of 190 players competed. Not many surprises were seen in the top 256 and top 128 stages of the qualifier. However, things started to get heated as we got top 64 and especially top 32. The biggest surprise of this stage was our two-time A1AL champion Shaq being eliminated. Three-time BFL winner lost to Nikolas7, ex-A1AL caster, and S13 third place.

Nikolas7 showed a great performance in the first qualifier and quite deservedly won the most points and is sitting in the first spot. He should feel pretty secure and confident at the top with 180 points, but nothing is decided yet. His road to the finals was not easy. He eliminated Lazar from Buducnost in the quarterfinals and Jaha in the semis who ended up taking third place and 80 points.

On the other side of the bracket, maybe the biggest surprise of the qualifier, HugoBOSS was sweeping everyone in his sight determined to get to the finals. Rabotnicki eSports player gave his best to win the qualifier but Nikolas7 came out victorious with a 2:0 win. HugoBOSS can be satisfied as he is in second place with 100 points.

The second qualifier will be played on the 21st of September and you can sign up for it HERE!

FC Mobile Q1

The S10 EAFC champion is back and ready to win!

The EAFC first qualifier was extremely tense as 100 players battled each other to win as many points as possible. No one had an easy road but some players showed their supremacy. Season 10 champion Gruby and last season’s winner Marac were the one to clash in the finals. But besides them, many familiar players were participating in this qualifier cup. Some of them are Hara, Cyber_Fico, our six-time champion Novo, and the CLA clan.

In the upper side of the bracket, Hara did well and reached the quarterfinals but got eliminated by CLA_TUNA. The member of the CLA organization then try to take down GAME ON Marac, but our defending champion was stronger. That win secured him a spot in the finals where Gruby was waiting.
Gruby’s road to that final wasn’t easy either. In the semifinals, he defeated Misko_fifa, who previously eliminated Tarik Novo in the quarterfinals.

The first finals game was Gruby’s domination who scored six goals against his opponent’s two. However, in the second game, Gruby took his guard down which Marac knew how to take advantage of. In the third match, Gruby wakes up and takes the lead securing 100 points and probably a spot in the next stage of the competition.

The next EAFC24 qualifier is played on the 21st of September, so sign up right away by clicking HERE!

A1AL EAFC_24_Q1

Oto100 and GOT secure the first CS2 group stage spot in A1AL

The best regional CS2 teams also started their grind to playoffs the past weekend. Many familiar A1AL names signed up from Oto100, who competed a couple of seasons ago against titans such as BLUEJAYS, Z10, and Blink, to Diamant Esports, Team Secret, and Cupava Veverica.

Cupava Veverica, team who got to the group stage last season, managed to get to the semis without many problems. There, however, they were defeated by Oto100 on Anubis. On the same side, Team Andr1xx lost after double overtime against Bezgresni who then lost to Oto100. GornjiDonji was waiting for them in finals as they cleared their way pretty smoothly but the spot in the group stage was just out of reach. In the end, Oto100 secured that groups spot with a 2:0 win.

Balkan Vikings showed extraordinary performance on the other side of the bracket. They defeated S13 vice champions Superior Esports, as well as Diamant Esports. Unfortunately, this promising team was stopped by Team Secret in the semis. As Team Secret reached the finals it was sure they would go on to win the whole thing. However, they failed on their map pick, and GOT took that opportunity to advance to playoffs.

CS teams will have another chance to compete for a 14,000 euro prize pool on the 22nd of September. Sign up for the second qualifier HERE!

CS2 qualified teams S14

Season 14 of A1AL is here with the biggest prize pool ever!

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If you thought you had to wait a long time for season 14 of A1AL, you were wrong. After just a month, and after crowning the best in the 13th season, we are continuing our journey and inviting you to compete again! The 14th season is bringing a lot of action, more games, and a whopping prize pool.

Compete with the best at the Reboot event in Zagreb!

Just like in the previous season, the A1 Adria League 14th season will feature CS2, EAFC, EAFC Mobile, and Brawl Stars. We will also host competitions in PUBG, LoL, Tekken, and a Student eChallenge tournament. But more on that later. The two biggest differences from the previous season are the enormous prize pool we offer the best competitors and the LAN event which will crown the winner. The best four teams from BS and CS2, and the best four players in EAFC and EAFC Mobile will compete in the grand finale at the Reboot InfoGamer event in Zagreb in November this year!

The competition will be fierce considering that we have thrice as big a prize pool as in the previous season. The best players in our games will share a whopping 26,900 euros! The CS2 competition now has a 14,000 euro prize pool as our biggest and most popular competition in the league.

Season 14 format explained

We won’t be changing much when it comes to format in season 14. CS2 players will have to go through three qualifiers to earn their place in the top eight. However, unlike the previous season, this time only six teams will make it through the cups, while the remaining two will be invited. After that, it’s a double elimination bracket in the SWISS stage. And as I said the best four go to Zagreb for a grand finale and a fierce fight.

EAFC and EAFC24 Mobile games will have the same format. Starting with four qualifiers cups where 16 players will advance to group stage. The group stage consists of four groups of four players. There the winner of each group goes to the finals to compete for a 3,500 prize pool.

Our Brawlers will also be able to enjoy four qualifiers, followed by a SWISS group stage. It will be a double elimination bracket consisting of Bo5 and Bo3 matches. So plenty of action and excitement awaits. That will culminate at the Reboot event where the best four teams will fight for the throne.

As I previously mentioned PUBG is back! The competition is scheduled for October and November starting with two qualifiers. After that, the playoff stage commences, and in the finals, we will watch a fierce fight where the best four teams will share the prize.

The first qualifiers are scheduled for the second week of September, so stay tuned for more information and how to sign up! Don’t forget to follow our social media accounts on Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram, and watch our streams on YouTube and Twitch.