Team Falcons superstar NiKo has strongly criticized Valve, calling out the developer’s lack of responsiveness to professional players’ feedback about Counter-Strike 2.
Speaking during ESL Pro League Season 22, the rifler described the situation as “frustrating,” expressing growing concern over the game’s current state. “Things are not looking the best when it comes to the game,” NiKo admitted, capturing a sentiment many pros have been echoing for months.
He explained that communication between Valve and the professional Counter-Strike community remains one of the biggest pain points. “There are a lot of issues that everyone is kind of trying to speak out and have it fixed, but Valve is being a bit not responsive enough,” NiKo said.
The Team Falcons star suggested that Valve’s internal priorities often take precedence over community-driven feedback, adding, “They’re kind of focused on their things and they’re not really trying to take given in consideration what the players would like to change.”
NiKo’s comments come after several major CS2 updates received backlash from pros, particularly over the controversial spray mechanic changes.
He previously vented his frustration on social media, asking, “How can they make the game feel even worse every fucking time? ” This remark quickly went viral among fans and fellow players. XANTARES shared his concerns, writing after the September patch, “This update completely destroyed the spray—CS feels broken and ridiculous now.”
Despite his criticism, NiKo remains hopeful that Valve will take the community’s concerns seriously. “I hope that one day they will listen to us and try to make it a bit more just more smooth, the game in general, because we had such a cool game before,” he said, comparing the current state of CS2 to the refined experience of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Reflecting on the transition, he added, “I don’t see a reason why we are struggling with these kinds of things in CS2,” pointing out that many of the problems players now face didn’t exist in the older version. The interview has struck a chord with the Counter-Strike community, with fans, analysts, and content creators rallying behind NiKo’s call for change.
The interviewer concluded with a direct message to the developers: “Valve, please listen to your players.” With top-tier teams competing in ongoing tournaments using the current build of CS2, the lack of developer responsiveness has only amplified concerns over competitive integrity.
NiKo’s remarks underline a growing frustration within the professional scene, as players call for better communication and more collaborative development. His comments serve as both a critique and a plea for Valve to re-engage with the people shaping Counter-Strike’s competitive legacy from within the server.
