What is Meta?
If you have never heard of the word Meta before here is a quick description. Meta is any approach to a game that rises above an operates outside of the typical rules of the game. The term meta is also an acronym that stands for most effective available tactic. Meta is a term that is used in the world of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive especially when referring to specific weapons such as the AUG.
Is the AUG the New Meta?
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive the two most used rifles in the game are the M4A4 and the AK-47. The M4A4 is the rifle that is only available for purchase by the Counter Terrorist side. A Counter Terrorist player can only purchase the M4A4 if they have $3100 dollars to spend. The M4A4 counterpart is the AK-47 which is only available when playing on the terrorist side at a cost of $2700 dollars.
There has been a CS:GO update that changed the price of some of the other rifles in the game. The update lowered the cost of both the AUG and SG553. The AUG went from $3500 dollars to $3150 dollars while the SG553 went from $3050 dollars to $2750 dollars. After this update was released it was a possibility that the price changes might change the meta of the rifles.
This turned out to be true. The AUG and SG553 are now being used more and more by pro players. The scoped rifle makes aiming easier and the recoil on both the guns is fairly controllable. At The iBUYPOWER Masters we saw for the first time in recent memory a CT side have four players equipped with the AUG and one player using the AWP.
It seems that over time the AUG and SG553 have been getting more love. The AUG has become this new “meta”. The AUG was always statistically superior to the M4A4, but with a price tag at $3500 dollars it made pros shy away from buying it. The lowering of prices on the two weapons has changed the “meta” of Counter-Strike and I expect to see more teams implementing the use of the AUG and SG553 in their gameplay.
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