CS:GO Ranks explained: How to get your first rank, rank distribution and more. Whether you're playing with the pros on the Global Elite servers or stuck on Silver, CS:GO ranks are synonymous with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. CS:GO ranks can be hard to achieve and maintain, but understanding the ranking system in the popular Valve shooter is key to figuring out how good you are and what you need to work on. Not everyone will be able to scale the dizzying heights of Global Elite, and that's fine, but the gap between the average CS:GO ranks can be huge. If you want to improve as a player, you should learn, because understanding the CS:GO ranking system is crucial to your development. However, we can't promise that it will be easy. As with all good competitive games, you'll be taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, with every win, loss, and draw factored into your CS:GO rank, which will determine how the community views you. In this detailed guide, you'll learn everything you need to know about CS:GO ranks, including the difference between Competitive, Wingman, and Danger Zone ranks, and what you can do to establish yourself as a Global Elite. Silver is usually associated with new players who don't quite have a handle on the game mechanics yet. There is usually a lack of strategy and communication, which can prevent players from improving. There is also the added challenge of "smurfs" for Silver players. Gold Nova is where you'll find most of the CS:GO player base. The skill level among these players varies depending on their rank. Those at the higher end of the scale are likely to be more knowledgeable about managing the economy in the game, the spray patterns of each weapon, and the Smokes. Master Guardian players are typically more advanced. These players spend a lot of time on custom servers learning new ways to use tools and recapture locations. If you have the goal of reaching Master Guardian or higher, be prepared to put in a few extra hours. How do I get my first CS:GO rank? When you first start CS:GO, you don't have a rank yet. As with many other competitive games, CS:GO players are expected to play on casual servers first to learn the basics before getting into serious ranked play. Even if you wanted to, you can't, as all new players must reach Private Rank 2 before jumping into the deep end. To get started, you'll need to play online matches in various CS:GO modes. Deathmatch or Arms Race are good places to start, since every time you die you're forced to try out different weapons from different spawn points. Casual matches are also handy, as they follow the same rules as competitive matches, only with more players on each team. Once you've accumulated enough XP for level two, you can search for competitive matches through the matchmaking menu. You'll need to complete ten competitive matches to earn your first rank. But remember: you'll be competing against opponents with different ranks, so don't worry if you have trouble getting going at first.