CS:GO and Old Age - When Are Pro Gamers at Their Best?

There are many theories about at what age an esportsperson should hang up the mouse (or gamepad) and retire from gaming. After all, not only young adults earn from professional gaming, but also players who have long exceeded the age of 30.

Unlike traditional sports, players are not required to be exceptionally physically fit, but it is said that the passage of time also takes its toll on esports players (e.g. in terms of reflexes).

On the other side of the barricade we have examples of experienced players who are still successful.

hltv.org, a website which provides statistics on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, decided to answer the question: "At what age do pro gamers of Valve's shooter have the best performance and when does the decline start?".

Old but gold?

The study took into account the individual performances of players who were ranked in the top 20 of the best players in the annual lists of this influential website. Limiting itself almost exclusively to the best of the best was intended to make the study sample more credible - it is difficult to compare outstanding shooters with players in leadership or support roles.

For methodological reasons, the study is not based on results from 2012-2014 and some data from 2015.

First: frags

The first factor examined was the correlation between player age and the KPR (kills per round) rate.

Source: hltv.org

• The graph shows a downward trend that progresses with age. The best result was achieved by 20-year-olds - 0.74 NRP. The worst was the group of 29-year-olds, where the average result was 0.65 NRP.
• The most numerous group among top pro gamers CS:GO were 24-year-olds; the lowest attendance was in the youngest and oldest groups - 16 and 32 years old.

When do pros reach their peak?

By tracking the careers of individual CS:GO stars, the authors of the study concluded that pro players are at their best between the ages of 20 and 24.

• Of course, we are only dealing with dry data that shows KPR, but looking at how the careers of the players in question have progressed, a certain pattern emerges.
• Here is an example. In the chart below, we have the performance of some of the most experienced players (some of whom have already retired) - Kenny "kennyS" Schrub, Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer, Marcelo "coldzera" David, and Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund.

In the chart, the form of the experienced players expressed in NRP. Source: hltv

• You can see here a clear decline in form with the passage of time. Of course, it is not so that after crossing the age of 25 skills drops as if by magic, but the tendency is visible.

For comparison, hltv.org has provided a chart showing the performance of players currently considered to be the best.

The chart shows the performance of today's CS:GO "stars". Source: hltv

Here we see players such as Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostylev, Nikola "NiKo" Kovac, Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut or Nicolai "device" Reedtz. Most of them are currently in the so-called "peak" - at the top. The exception may be the last of the aforementioned, device (26 years old), who in the last season saw a drop in form.

Having experience pays off

Looking at these results, one might conclude that players who are approaching their 30s have no place at the highest levels of competitive CS:GO, but it would be an excessive statement.

Although on paper there is a downward trend in the number of eliminations, there are exceptions to every rule and this should not be treated as a zero-sum game.

The study also found that more experienced players can still succeed - especially if they change roles. Players over the age of 25 are more likely to be "in-game leaders" who, in addition to coaching, play an important tactical role on the team. This is where this experience can pay off.