The elevated use of Krieg rifle, also known as the SG-553, has been a point of contention and debate in the Counter-Strike world, and Team Liquid’s Russel ‘Twistzz’ VanDulken suggested an idea on how to fix it that’s already convinced a handful of pro players.
Just because something is popular, doesn’t necessarily mean it is well-liked. Take the Krieg rifle, also known as the SG-553, for example.
A typically infrequently used rifle for years compared to its fellow T-side rifle the AK-47, the Krieg’s price reduction in October of last year saw a spike in usage. And now, a number of pro players are really sick of it.
But just when pro player frustrations were reaching new heights, a star player on a world class team presented a unique idea.
Twistzz of Team Liquid suggested turning the automatic rifle into a semi-automatic, as to give it an appropriate nerf but still make it viable.
No semi-automatic gun in cs yet, I think it should be the first. In my mind this is the only way not to ruin the gun entirely
— Russel VanDulken (@Twistzz) October 27, 2019
Twistzz provided reasoning in a reply to his tweet, saying that a “Krieg with a low fire rate would turn people away from using it, but if it had the same accuracy and the ability to tap fast would make it viable.”
A couple of pro players immediately expressed their excitement at the idea with both Nathan ‘NBK’ Schmitt and Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen saying they liked the interesting idea.
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Recently, dupreeh’s teammate on Astralis in Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz went on Instagram to explain why he thought the current version of the Krieg was hurting those who played the AWP primarily.
Dupreeh himself asked the question on Twitter whether the AUG meta or the Krieg meta is worse, with 59% of over 9000 voters choosing the Krieg meta.
Fun poll. Which was/is worse?
— Peter Rasmussen (@dupreeh) October 24, 2019
With its automatic fire rate and its high accuracy at short and long ranges, the Krieg emerged as a superior option to the AK-47 since its price reduction, given how well it could challenge other rifles including the AWP.
This follows almost the exact same trend as the AUG did when its price reduction cause a sharp increase of AUG usage in matchmaking and at pro events. Since its reduction, the Krieg has become a staple of T-side buy rounds, and has stood at the top of gun usage charts for recent tournaments.
Whether Valve will make such a drastic change to one of their most heavily used rifles by either adjusting the fire rate or simply the price remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, a change needs to be made unless they want to continue frustrating their pro player base.