CS2 Premier vs FACEIT: What are the Differences?

The introduction of the separate ranking system in the CS2 Premier skyrocketed the popularity of this game mode, leaving the traditional Competitive in the dust. For the first time, players received a clear ELO ranking system with the map statistical spread, pro-like vote-bans, and global leaderboard. This unseen success begs another question: whether you should use the new CS2 Premier or FACEIT’s tried and true competitive mechanics?

Indeed, if we look at the FACEIT vs CS2 Premier differences, we’ll quickly discover that there are very few of those. But the devil, as always, hides in the details. The most controversial one is the anti-cheat approach, which is claimed to be at the highest level by both parties, but the reality is way more complicated.

So, let’s proceed step-by-step and discuss everything related to the CS2 Premier vs FACEIT topic in detail and with real-life examples in this guide.

Understanding The Rank System In CS2 Premier And FACEIT

Every ranking placement is subjective by its nature, as with every case where people want to compare themselves to others, and the CS2 rating equivalent is no different. The global melting pot called competitive Counter-Strike involves players from various countries with hardware of widely different quality, which is an objective factor that can easily turn a close 11-13 loss into a confident 13-7 victory.

Trying to mitigate the impact of such uncontrollable elements, both Valve and FACEIT employ similar matchmaking mechanics to make each game as balanced as possible. The success of the ELO system presented by FACEIT more than ten years ago was finally replicated by Valve in the CS2 Premier mode. At the same time, the traditional matchmaking rating (MMR) is currently the primary Valve Competitive mode, retaining much of the Global Offensive’s ranking features with the traditional Silvers, Gold Novas, and Global Elite.

Let’s now take a closer look at the CS2 Premier vs FACEIT differences in terms of their approach to ranking.

Rank Systems In CS2 Premier

Overall, the ranking starts from zero and goes up to 30,000+ points, sub-divided into several groups marked by different colors. During the initial months of the game, there were dozens of players in the “golden” zone, with some individuals having more than 35k ranking points. As of July 2024, there are no “golden” players globally, with the top dogs having around 28,000.

Also, it’s hard to truly compare FACEIT vs CS2 Premier ELO systems since we don’t fully know the metrics used by Valve. However, the Counter-Strike community is smart and observant enough to figure out major regularities and key features by now.

A defeat in a match with equally-ranked opponents will cost you about 100 points, with every following loss increasing the amount of lost points by a further 100. It means that a long loss streak will quickly downgrade your rank. This feature is seemingly designed to address the cases where your skill is outdated, the rank was earned unfairly, or you have gained a boost by playing with more proficient teammates. At the same time, a victory in an equal game will bring you a few hundred points up the ladder.

Relying on the June 2024 statistics of the Leetify.com base (the best CS2 tracking platform with reliable info on the topic), CS2 Premiere mode has the following rank spread:

Of course, the data coming from a single platform is somewhat unreliable, but that is the freshest source of such stats. In reality, the biggest number of players is likely located in the first section and have below 1000 points, but it won’t significantly impact the average spreading between the CS2 ranks, as those beginners typically either don’t play a lot or quickly improve past this initial stage.

Rank System In FACEIT

Contrary to Valve’s ranking, FACEIT rank distribution is clear and easier to understand. The platform’s ELO approach takes into account metrics like the likelihood of winning the map depending on the player's current level, so points for winning or losing tend to stay the same. In simple words, equal opponents fight for equal points to be added or cut.

Battles between opponents of widely different skill level are slightly harder to properly balance, and in such cases point distribution depends largely on the round’s outcome and individual performance:

1. If the weaker opponent wins, they gain more points, while the stronger player losing the same (larger than normal) amount;
2. If a more skilled opponent wins, they get a small number of points, with the weaker player also losing only a few of those.

Overall, there are 11 FACEIT CS2 levels, with the last one being the elite 1000 with “Challenger” status. Points spread inside FACEIT’s ranking system are as follows:

After joining FACEIT, every player receives 1000 points, which are then lost and gained as per the rules we’ve just discussed.

Comparison Table of Different Rank Systems in Counter-Strike 2

Every CS2 Premier vs FACEIT ranking comparison will be pretty approximate since nobody yet figured out Valve’s approach to estimating players’ skill. Moreover, there are 11 FACEIT ranks, seven color zones in CS2 Premier mode, and 17 diverse ranks in Competitive, which makes any direct comparison between the three even less reliable.

Still, we at Profilerr are not so easily deterred, and after lots of in-depth CS2 Premier vs FACEIT analysis we’re ready to share a pretty decent comparison table for CS2 ranks across the three popular platforms/modes:

However, we still urge you to take it with a grain of salt and remember that ranks can’t be migrated across platforms. For instance, some players can have 20-21k ELO points in CS2 Premier but possess the 10th level on FACEIT simply because they prefer this matchmaking platform and spend much more time there. Similarly, one can have a solid 15k+ rating in the Premier but be a Silver Elite Master or have 3rd Level on FACEIT because they don't play those modes all that often.

The Main Differences Between CS2 Premier and FACEIT

Of course, diverse ranking approaches aren’t the only difference between the two. So, let’s review all the important CS2 Premier vs FACEIT features to determine a better place to compete.

Anti-Cheat

The first and foremost aspect to discuss is Anti-Cheat, which is something of a long-time nemesis for CS games. While CS:GO already had its fair share of cheaters, the release of CS2 made things far worse. First of all, Valve used the new engine mostly for visual improvements rather than strengthening their in-game protection, so with an influx of new players the issue was doomed to grow in scale. Even a few waves of massive bans and the return of Overwatch in CS2 didn’t change things all that much, and cheaters continue ruining the gaming experience even in the new Premier mode.

FACEIT has one of the best anti-cheats around, and lots of gamers stick to it for this advantage alone. FACEIT developed its own Anti-Cheat app, which must be downloaded separately and activated before launching the game. It monitors the suspicious activity of side apps and preserves game files from mid-game changes. Unsurprisingly, FACEIT (alongside ESEA) is a preferred platform for numerous online tournaments.

Community

Let’s face it: the CS community has always been pretty toxic, especially on public servers, and Valve did almost nothing to change the situation. Yes, joining the game and letting off some steam in anonymous mode after a bad day can be pretty therapeutic, but it is ultimately detrimental to the game’s long-term health.

Unsurprisingly, most players want to play the game and enjoy it without hearing opponents' or teammates' endless criticism after every missed shot. To answer this demand, FACEIT has an automated system that detects abusive words and provocative expressions, while some cases are even reviewed separately by admins. So, if you want to avoid toxic players — the choice is obvious.

Competitive Level

If we simply compare the approach players use on the mid-ranks in Premier mode and on FACEIT, the latter is much closer to official competitions with a team-wide responsive approach. Most players are regularly try-harding, so those who want to simply chill during the game should probably avoid FACEIT.

Ranking System

We talked a lot about the differences in ranking systems, but which of them is ultimately better? The ELO approach is fairly applied on FACEIT, but it starts working only after a dozen matches. Typically, the more you play, the more correct your ranking is, but this logic seems to not apply in the Premier mode.

If we look at the ranking issue from another perspective and try to compare FACEIT level 10 vs Global Elite, only one thing will be clear — both are great achievements. Those are pinnacles inside the presented systems and surely comparable, and are a great motivation point for many young players.

Subscriptions and Rewards

Although CS2 is technically a free game, its monetization model includes more than just cases and skins. For example, you can play Premier mode only after you buy Prime status. With it, you also receive weekly drops (usually, a cheap case and a skin). Valve also promises better protection from cheaters and fairer opponent selection for their Prime members.

FACEIT can also be free if all you want is to enjoy a cheater-free game. At the same time, you can go for one of their subscriptions to get extra rewards:

1. More balanced opponents search;
2. Map selection;
3. Advanced stats;
4. Premium missions;
5. Extended watch experience.

Most players who have bought either of the two FACEIT plans confirm that the rewards are pretty fair. You can win or get skins for an equal amount of money if you play regularly, although it can hardly be considered an investment or earning idea.

Missions and Operations

CS:GO launched an era of Operations, a special paid opportunity to accomplish unique Counter-Strike missions and earn cases or skins. As the rewards for the operation are usually unique, many players are willing to pay around $10 to receive some exclusive content.

FACEIT presents a far more frequent alternative (Operations have been rare occasions in CS2 for quite some time now). With an active subscription, you can finish different missions and get the platform’s unique currency that you can later spend in the FACEIT shop to get skins or even tournament entries.

Conclusion

If we try to look at the CS2 Premier vs FACEIT pros and cons and evaluate them as objectively as we can, it’s hard to deny that the latter has a huge advantage — a well-developed Anti-Cheat system. It automatically makes the game much more pleasant, which is further complemented by a less toxic community. At the same time, it requires additional installing steps and can be too much for those who play the game just for fun. Still, if you dream of becoming a Pro someday, you should opt for a FACEIT subscription, as it can easily become a ticket to your first true tournaments.