Background information
Ex Counter-Strike pro: «Once you’ve fallen in love with that competitive scene, you’ll never get rid of the feeling.»
by Philipp Rüegg
E-sports expert Remo Blaser on the beginnings and development of the Swiss Counter-Strike scene
20.3.2024
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Counter-Strike has always been one of the most popular competitive games in the world. The game has an active e-sports community in Switzerland too. In an interview with Counter-Strike expert Remo Blaser, I take a look back at the beginnings and development of the scene.
I spoke to Remo about the history, current state and future of the Swiss Counter-Strike scene.
I was active there for three to four years. Eventually, I got the feeling I was no longer improving, that I’d reached my zenith. I was also no longer able to spend the time needed to keep up – partly because of my studies. These days, I still play Counter-Strike several times a week, just not at that extremely high, competitive level.
Things got really serious with the start of Hero League 2019. It was the first time I was regularly booked for a tournament. For two months, twice a year, I was allowed to stand in front of the camera every Wednesday. The organisation and production were on a completely different level than anything we’d seen before.
But I followed the ESL-EPS Championships in German-speaking countries – players from Switzerland, Austria and Germany took part. Both Source and 1.6 were played, it was one of the first tournaments I watched live online.
LAN parties were an essential part of the scene, a place you could exchange ideas with like-minded people. Nowadays, almost everything happens via social media channels that didn’t exist in this form back then. What’s more, today I can simply start Counter-Strike 2 and use matchmaking to find fellow players and opponents – without any personal interaction.
The situation between the two camps at the time was tricky. I guess that around 60 per cent played Counter-Strike 1.6, 40 per cent preferred Counter-Strike: Source. The two scenes couldn’t do anything together. Fortunately, the third Counter-Strike release, Condition Zero, was never popular in Switzerland.
The two Counter-Strike scenes couldn’t do anything together.
Gaming and e-sports are accepted in society today. Even big Swiss brands dare to organise or sponsor Counter-Strike tournaments. How was it back then?
At the time, Counter-Strike was struggling as a result of the «killer games» debate. It was the most «realistic» and «brutal» competitive game. And clearly the most popular. As a result, Counter-Strike was quickly brought up in the debate surrounding apparently dangerous games.
But the scene wasn’t as visible as it is today. Some «nerds» would get together for a weekend at a LAN party and play «killer games» non-stop. This seemed strange to outsiders – «lonely, depressed people», that was the stereotype. Accordingly, there was hardly any mainstream media coverage of such events – and when there was, it was sceptical or even negative.
How would you rate the size of the current Swiss scene compared to the noughties?
The hardcore centre of the scene has definitely shrunk. It’s like I said – you had to be an active part of the scene to play against others at all. Today you no longer have to, thanks to matchmaking.
I also think the hardcore scene has become even smaller with the release of Counter-Strike 2. Many players are using this upheaval as an opportunity to take a break or quit altogether. However, it’s also nice to see many Source and 1.6 veterans still actively involved in the scene in some way. They cast, establish teams or are involved in organising tournaments – pretty cool.
But it has to be said clearly – although the core has become smaller, the surrounding scene has grown exponentially. Countless casual gamers play from time to time. That’s why I think tournaments like the Digitec Playground are extremely important. The grass-roots tournaments at the Playground are for everyone, not just for a small hardcore audience, giving the scene more visibility.
With this update, CS:GO exploded – in Switzerland too. The game also managed to unite the hostile Source and 1.6 camps. After that, the Swiss scene really took off. Many new teams were founded, tournaments launched.
What important milestones in terms of tournaments and events have there been in the Swiss scene since the launch of CS:GO?
Certainly, the start of the Swiss E-Sports League. Similar to gamersnet.ch at the time, the Swiss E-Sports League functioned as a central platform where tournaments could be held. The first SwitzerLAN tournaments were also groundbreaking. They managed to attract not just 100 or 200 guests, but 500 or 600 gamers to the event.
The Supreme Masters was also important – CS:GO LAN parties with a twist. Participants had to pay slightly more to take part. This fee was thrown into a pot to be distributed to the winners. This also attracted pro teams from all over Europe, with players from the international elite.
I also have to mention Hero League, it’s significantly professionalised the Swiss scene. Certainly also because the right budget was available. The fact that a company as large as Swisscom got involved in Counter-Strike helped the scene a lot.
Smaller tournaments like the Digitec Playground are important for the scene to grow.
How does Counter-Strike fare in terms of popularity compared to other e-sports titles in Switzerland?
Currently, the core Counter-Strike scene is certainly the largest of all e-sports communities in Switzerland. League of Legends might be a little more popular overall, with many more casual gamers playing from time to time.
Super Smash Bros is also a perennial favourite in Switzerland. Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege also enjoyed a short time in the sun. I can’t assess the mobile gaming scene, it’s on other platforms and is almost invisible to me. But I think Brawl Stars, for example, also has a huge community in Switzerland.
Internationally, Valorant is still a big rival for Counter-Strike. And that’s a good thing. I also think Counter-Strike 2 wouldn’t have been released so quickly without Valorant.
How do you rate the launch of Counter-Strike 2 – what impact will it have on the Swiss scene?
All in all, the release of Counter-Strike 2 is a good thing. Although some players are still frustrated by the lack of updates and some bugs, the game was released in a much better state than CS:GO. Some players don’t think innovations like the new smoke system are cool. But I think it’s good that Valve is daring to innovate. In the e-sports scene, you’ll always encounter resistance when you change the status quo.
I’m also glad that Counter-Strike 2 has completely replaced the old CS:GO. Otherwise we’d have had a fractured scene again, as with Source and 1.6. In the long term, the Swiss scene will grow with Counter-Strike 2, I’m sure of it.
How high is the standard of play in Switzerland, and how well do we compare internationally?
mYinsanity, Lausanne E-Sports and Team Solid, formerly known as Sans Vergogne, are among the top three teams in Switzerland. On paper, mYinsanity is the strongest – especially with the players they signed from Germany.
But the Swiss scene as a whole is at a very low tier internationally, to be honest. To use a football analogy, Swiss teams don’t play in the Champions League, but rather in the National League. This was seen, for example, when Swiss teams qualified for international ESL tournaments via Hero League. But it’s really hard anyway. In other countries, you can become a full-time player much faster on an e-sports salary – in Switzerland, it’s almost impossible.
Internationally, Swiss teams play in a type of National League, not an equivalent to the Champions League.
What would you wish for the Swiss Counter-Strike scene?
We need a consistent league again to set a certain rhythm. On the one hand, for players, who’d be able to take part in tournaments on a regular basis, but also for the audience. Regular events also allow spectators to share in the excitement and become fans of teams. This is difficult without a consistent league.
The same problem exists with other titles, but for different reasons. League of Legends, for example, has the same problem as Valorant. Riot controls everything, setting strict rules and high fees for tournaments. Valve doesn’t do that with Counter-Strike, you can just set up a tournament. As a result, I’d like to see a community-driven league built up over the next few years, staying alive as long as possible thanks to a grass-roots approach.
On Saturday, 23 March, the first qualifiers for Playground Cup Vol. 12 will start. Counter-Strike 2 will be played – this was clearly decided by the Community in a public vote.
All information about the tournament and registration can be found in this article:
Header image: Roman Schläpfer
Domagoj Belancic
Senior Editor
Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.chMy love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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