In Counter-Strike the USP-S dominated the meta in pistol rounds for a long time, but now another weapon is sawing at its throne.
Which weapons are we talking about? The USP-S is one of the most iconic weapons in Counter-Strike. The silenced pistol has determined the meta in pistol rounds for years, but now another handgun is scratching at the throne of the USP: the Glock-18.
While you should shoot precisely at the head of your opponent with the USP-S instead of spraying, and take advantage of the good damage values of the pistol, the Glock is also suitable for the so-called ‘Run & Gun’.
“Run & Gun” describes shooting while running, which brings certain disadvantages in Counter-Strike.
Players increasingly rely on the Glock-18
Is the meta of CS2 changing? On Reddit, a user named “vecter” started a conversation about the state of the Glock-18 in CS2 and asked: “Is it just me or is the Glock really good in pistol rounds?” Subsequently, vecter explains that he feels the Glock is stronger in CS2 than in its predecessor CS:GO.
Another player seems to have a similar opinion and writes: “Well, since holding angles isn’t working well, what could be better than a ‘Run and Gun’ weapon with 20 bullets for the first round?”
A third user explains: “CTs need to aim carefully with their USPs or they won’t hit a single headshot. Meanwhile, you can do pretty much anything with the Glock while spamming it, even at long distance. […] It’s absurd how easily you can be overrun by Glocks in CS2.”
Many players in the thread believe that the Glock has gained strength in CS2; however, there are also players who feel that the USP is still number one. The question of which weapon will determine the meta in the future is still open.
Peekers-Advantage makes life difficult for the USP
Why is the Glock-18 stronger in CS2 than in CS:GO? In Counter-Strike 2, holding an angle is not as strong as in CS:GO – at least that is the opinion of many players. This is mainly due to the so-called Peekers-Advantage.
The general feeling of most of the community is that the Peekers-Advantage in CS2 is worse than in CS:GO, making holding an angle even more challenging.
Since it is possible to hit the opponent relatively precisely with the Glock-18 even while running, and it also has a fairly large magazine, the Glock is better than ever due to the reinforced Peekers-Advantage.
Whether the Glock-18 is enough to dethrone the USP-S will remain to be seen. Especially at high elo, where players use their utility, hold angles in crossfire, and land clean headshots, the Glock may lose some of its newfound strength.
Not only the USP-S suffers from the reinforced Peekers-Advantage, but AWP players also have a harder time in CS2. Even s1mple is considering changing weapons in the future:
CS2: One of the best players of all time wants to change weapons after years as a top sniper
