When we think about Counter-Strike in general, the bomb defusal game mode is what comes to mind first. But when the first game launched over 20 years ago, it was all about rescuing hostages.
The hostage rescue mode has dipped in popularity over the years, especially because the competitive scene adopted the bomb defusal maps. There are still people who enjoy playing CS:GO on maps like Assault and Office, though.
The issue is that Valve has nearly abandoned the hostage rescue mode in CS:GO, however, leaving it “fundamentally flawed,” according to a fan on Reddit. And as CS2’s full launch looms, players want the developers to give that classic mode some attention.
“Hostage mode to me always felt like it was way under what it could be,” one player wrote in a Reddit post created on Aug. 17. “Most of the maps are so unbelievably one-sided and lack any need for expertise of utility usage. To me, all maps, besides maybe Agency just feel so unbelievably unfair as a CT, that nobody ever wants to play in the CT team, the worst offender (imo) being Militia.”
Simply put, in hostage rescue, the CTs are clearly at a disadvantage. They’re the ones who need to take the initiative and try to either kill all the Terrorists spread across the map or rescue at least one of the two hostages to win the map.
The economic situation in the mode also doesn’t help. It’s fair for CT equipment to cost more in bomb defusal as the Terrorists must take the initiative and try planting the bomb or killing all the CTs. But in hostage rescue, the CT equipment should be cheaper. Otherwise, the Terrorists will always have an enormous advantage.
Related: CS:GO players beg Valve to focus on forgotten mode in CS2
There are so many aspects of the hostage rescue mode that need to be addressed that it could use a full overhaul heading to CS2. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve leaves it as is and merely focuses on the bomb defusal maps and settings.
