**It’s pretty clear that the community prefers having map-based agent factions** (see ***Exhibit A*** at the end), instead of the current default CT/T model with additional “pay-to-win” agent skins.
https://preview.redd.it/q7hiom9gn8ec1.png?width=807&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d80d25aa01229b06e1969965b8ad2944a2391f1
**It’s also pretty clear that the community wants the ability to turn off agent skins** (see ***Exhibit B*** at the end). Encountering unexpected colors and silhouettes with varying contrast can change how fast you can react to enemies. For a game where milliseconds matter, agent skins are fundamentally flawed and should have had no place in the game.
https://preview.redd.it/jwgrdkwe18ec1.png?width=894&format=png&auto=webp&s=11674c326e3b6a16badb3441d17dca0e04d6c481
Weapon skins, on the other hand, are purely aesthetic and have minimal impact on gameplay whatsoever (with one minor exception that their colors and designs can maybe impact their visibility on the ground). I think weapon skins have been the best aesthetic yet *subtle* change in the game without impacting the competitive integrity of the game.
Perhaps having map-based agents is the best approach for handling various agents in the game. Agents and maps can have thematic similarities and consistencies that help with the “lore” of the game itself. Wtf is a scuba diver agent doing in a desert-themed Mirage/Dust 2? (Here’s an old post ([656 upvotes](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/31esmz/if_nuke_is_getting_changedreworked_can_you_change/)), that shows the community valuing consistency in the “lore”)
It’s important to clarify one point: it’s not about each agent having perfect visibility across a map. That is impossible to achieve without also compromising on the theme of each map. The point is for all 10 players to be on a **level playing field**. Let’s say Ancient has the same green agents for all players. That is FAIR. Bad for visibility, but FAIR. You can “abuse” angles, but so can everyone. You can expect a certain level of (low) contrast between the agent and map every time you clear angles. You can expect you’ll perhaps have a hard time reacting quickly to the enemies. You’re in a shitty situation, but so is everyone. Brutal, but fair through and through.
But right now, players can have different agent skins and you can’t predict what agent you’ll encounter in a fight, which clearly affects how fast you react to that agent. Subtle differences in contrast throw you off because you don’t know what to expect, and those milliseconds of extra time you take to perceive the outline of the enemies cost your life. I peek Nuke trophy room and the damn red agent is [blending](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/184i9mq/is_anyone_else_having_a_hard_time_reacting_to_the/) with the red walls and I fail to notice it instantly. Never mind the fact that players can literally buy agents and (un)intentionally find themselves “abusing” them. This unfairness in gameplay as well as “pay-to-win” is what irks me the most.
Even the pro scene has been clearly shying away from using agent skins in their pro games because they all likely don’t want people putting effort into finding the best way to abuse agent skins. This fact alone should be enough to show that agent skins have no place in this game and whatever Valve does in the future regarding cosmetics, they should never compromise the competitive integrity of this game (see ***Exhibit C***).
https://preview.redd.it/ssj0edvi28ec1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47122016aebeae2ea05869ca552f59582587734e
# Exhibits A, B, and C:
**Exhibit A -** **Community preferring map-based factions and/or disliking agent skins****:**
A1. \[5.7k upvotes, 4 mo ago\] [All player models we will no longer see in Counter-Strike 2 :(](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/16y0bn1/all_player_models_we_will_no_longer_see_in/)
A2. \[4.1k upvotes, 1 mo ago\] [All I want for Christmas](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/18oxk9a/all_i_want_for_christmas/)
A3. \[629 upvotes, 1 yr ago\] [With CS likely getting a re-release, I hope Valve reconsiders Agent models/skins](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/11itcw8/with_cs_likely_getting_a_rerelease_i_hope_valve/).
A4. \[925 upvotes, 4 mo ago\] [Can we have map factions back? I’m really tired of having the phoenix and sas in all the maps.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/16unbe8/can_we_have_map_factions_back_im_really_tired_of/)
A5. \[676 upvotes, 5 mo ago\] [Why does every map now use the Phoenix Connection Ts and SAS CTs? Where are all the other factions? Leet crew, Balkans, GIGN, GSG-9, FBI, Professionals etc are all missing](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/16bnoc3/why_does_every_map_now_use_the_phoenix_connection/)
A6. \[378 upvotes, 3 mo ago\] [What happened to the map based Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist factions? I loved the unique models and voice lines that each map had, will Valve bring them back or are they long dead?](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/17d8t9h/what_happened_to_the_map_based_terrorist_and/)
A7. \[397 upvotes, 3 mo ago\] [Really irks me that Valve removed map-specific faction skins](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/17nci23/really_irks_me_that_valve_removed_mapspecific/)
A8. \[28 upvotes, 4 mo ago\] [Will map specific agents return to CS2?](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/16os1zb/will_map_specific_agents_return_to_cs2/)
A9. \[32 upvotes, 5 mo ago\] [Please don’t get rid of local map factions !](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/169869q/please_dont_get_rid_of_local_map_factions/)
A10. \[CSGO, 1.3k upvotes, 3 yrs ago\] [Agent skins go against the foundations counter strike was built on.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/ma1584/agent_skins_go_against_the_foundations_counter/)
​
**Exhibit B – Community wanting some sort of ability to turn off agent skins:**
B1. \[2.1k upvotes, 9 mo ago\] [Please make it so we can see friends agents but not enemy agents](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/1350rof/please_make_it_so_we_can_see_friends_agents_but/)
B2. \[292 upvotes, 8 mo ago\] [For God’s sake please add option in cs2 to disable agent skins.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/13t42dl/for_gods_sake_please_add_option_in_cs2_to_disable/)
B3. \[46 upvotes, 5 mo ago\] [Are they going to add cl\_minmodels in CS2?](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/161mhls/are_they_going_to_add_cl_minmodels_in_cs2/)
B4. \[CSGO, 3k upvotes, 3 yrs ago\] [Please add “ignore agents skins” setting](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/o8ymyv/please_add_ignore_agents_skins_setting/)
B5. \[CSGO, 5.2k upvotes, 3.1k likes, 4 yrs ago\] Elige: [I would really love if we had a cl\_minmodel type command again now because I think some of the agents are hard to see especially for color blind people and I think it gives a disadvantage now in some situations🥺@CSGO](https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/dyw02a/elige_on_twitter_i_would_really_love_if_we_had_a/)
​
**Exhibit C – Pro players, agents, and gentlemen’s agreement:**
C1. \[1.5k likes, 7 mo ago\] Zool: [Pro players still refuse to play with agent skins, that says something. Usually when features are poorly received, they adapt and end up using them. But this just doesn’t seem to be the case for agents. Something has to be done @CounterStrike.”](https://twitter.com/ZooL_Smith/status/1677991336841039872)
C2. jL once used an agent skin in a pro game and later [tweeted](https://twitter.com/jlcsgo_/status/1655953783028080641?s=46) clarifying it was not intentional.
C3. \[806 likes, 5 mo ago\] Aquarius: [Valve should force pro players to use Agent skins at the Majors. Screw all the visibility complaints, CS2 is bright and colorful, no more excuses.](https://twitter.com/aquaismissing/status/1698349762443915665)
That’s all.
**Optional Reading:**
Here I’m just gonna dump a few of high-upvoted comments as evidence of the points discussed above:
https://preview.redd.it/gz5wkox9g8ec1.png?width=606&format=png&auto=webp&s=a512a488e0aff6eafc0b067267b1b92b4a56c021
https://preview.redd.it/zlc6g85m38ec1.png?width=708&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee8c0f83fea91b2d1b44a271db15e78c77e81aab
https://preview.redd.it/jjjwxj5t38ec1.png?width=381&format=png&auto=webp&s=4131b9980133fd1145aa712aa926a1457882346c
https://preview.redd.it/l5j5novzr8ec1.png?width=370&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed22cecf7b0e334030ec6bad39963e2eeef5321e
https://preview.redd.it/n8xbcq02s8ec1.png?width=814&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9a2a39c4477b9339d24e5bc7612034c7efcd035
https://preview.redd.it/orl2es83s8ec1.png?width=388&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e097da3b277d5cdf320142c83e25816015692af
https://preview.redd.it/wh4hp525s8ec1.png?width=767&format=png&auto=webp&s=52ddf9f71085092c765e0d4ef47371cc4dcff457
https://preview.redd.it/63ijlw5oo8ec1.png?width=752&format=png&auto=webp&s=40cd6962029a83eea7b32858c1eca8dc4495ffa9
https://preview.redd.it/vep757ojs8ec1.png?width=341&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ddb5e1ace21551a61e28b2f294171147750e62b
Pro players still refuse to play with agent skins, that says something.
Usually when features are poorly received, they adapt and end up using them. But this just doesn't seem to be the case for agents.
Something has to be done @CounterStrike.
— ZooL (@ZooL_Smith) July 9, 2023
18 Comments
“Is Valve planning to do anything about it?”
Short answer : No
Long answer : Nope
Idk I feel like having 5 different agent skins on your team is more pay to lose than pay to win
Couldn’t care one bit about factions having map theme, in fact they are better now. Consistency on all maps. What I do care disabling agent skins client side. They are a detriment to the game, they are terrible and mess with the competitive integrity.
Will Valve do something about it? Brother they can’t even add something generic as left hand.
Competitive CS2 pass , like they have dota 2 pass.
I would literally pay a monthly subscription to not see these cancerous agent skins.
Community or Reddit? A small ass part of the community touches this site lmao.
We’re a loud minority. There are millions of players who never use Twitter, reddit, etc. and just want to hop on the game and shoot people. [We’ve got to remember these are just simple gamers. The common clay of the new game. You know, casuals.](https://youtu.be/hYTQ7__NNDI?si=d7noiOYAHk5ue7F5&t=9)
Edit: Come on you guys, I said “we’re” a loud minority, not “you’re”, and I’m calling the people who like agent skins casuals. You really think I’m advocating for agent skins?
Aside from minor visibility fixes….no. It was game over as soon as they released them, can’t go back on it now.
If you’re blaming agent skins for losing duels you are coping at your lack of skill. The vast majority of the community does not care about agent skins. People need to stop complaining about agent skins because you got caught off guard, just clear your angles.
Valve hasn’t said anything about phasing map-based factions though. maybe they are working on them still don’t jump the gun like this.
And you are not getting cl_minmodels back, stop dreaming. These are paid skins now.
In my opinion the fairest option would be to having them disabled in competitive mode, and enabled in all the casual modes.
These are the same people that keep the chickens on inferno, and the chickens don’t even make them money.
Can we also add trades? It’s not the my fault my random teammates ping is too high to kill the enemy player faster. Trade kills would eliminate this. It’s a skill based game not specs based. Also the players’ max fps and resolution should be locked to 60 and 1920 to 1080. This way all competitive matches will be fair.
Waste of a post.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with almost every word. But do you think Valve gives a fuck? I promise, they don’t. Hell, they wouldn’t even give us the minmodels command back in 2011.
Agent skins make them money. They don’t give a fuck that competitive players hate them.
For that matter, lets ask this:
How does the community feel about cheating? Rhetorical question, right? So surely we can expect Valve to solve that major issue in CS2 post haste, right?
Well, they ain’t. And they might not ever, at this rate. They clearly do not give two fucks about the game. We’ve gotten what, like one update in the last 2-3 weeks and it was basically a troll update about Vertigo?
I suppose there’s always the possibility that they’ve got a MASSIVE update on the way that’ll fix a ton of stuff at once, but I’m not holding my breath. This is Valve we’re talking about.
I honestly dont care about agents and havent had a problem spotting any of them.
They should focus on the anticheat
If valve don’t want to add the option to disable them client-side, at the very least add colored highlights to enemies similar to valorant so they are easy to distinguish from the background.
Years later, I’m still in awe that agent skins were added to CS. One of the most anti CS updates the game got.
it’s like to turn off weapon skins for Valve
ofc not
At the same time, you can get great info (whether there are 2 players of just one repeeked, rotation info etc) if enemy team is using agent.
Thanks for this post, I appreciate it as factions is one of my favourite aspects about CSGO.
However, seeing the poor state of CS2, and the greed of Valve, I doubt anything will be done.