Counter-Strike is one of the most popular five-versus-five competitive games, but sometimes, it is too difficult to gather four friends or to work with many others. Some people seek quality time with their best friend, partner in crime, or perhaps wingman.
What Is Wingman In CS:GO?
As the name suggests, the Wingman game mode in CS:GO consists of 2v2 gameplay. The concept of Wingman games is similar to regular Competitive mode matches. However, since there are only two players per team, Wingman matches are set to smaller versions of Competitive matchmaking maps.
Wingman was introduced to CS:GO in 2017 as a part of Operation Hydra. The game mode was meant to be temporary but was officially released as a permanent mode later on.
All Wingman Ranks In CS:GO
Since the Wingman game mode is almost identical to the regular Competitive mode, the Wingman ranks feature the same 18 skill groups in the regular matchmaking ranking system.
Here is a list of all CS:GO Wingman ranks:
- Silver I
- Silver II
- Silver III
- Silver IV
- Silver Elite
- Silver Elite Master
- Gold Nova I
- Gold Nova II
- Gold Nova III
- Gold Nova Master
- Master Guardian I
- Master Guardian II
- Master Guardian Elite
- Distinguished Master Guardian
- Legendary Eagle
- Legendary Eagle Master
- Supreme Master First Class
- The Global Elite
The Wingman game mode has a smaller player base, and Valve has made it much easier to rank up in Wingman compared to regular Competitive. This makes a Wingman Global Elite rank less valuable than people think. As a result, Wingman ranks can be considered “inflated,” as you will see many Wingman players have considerably higher Wingman ranks than official matchmaking ranks.
According to most Wingman players, winning 2-4 Wingman games in a row will most likely result in a rank increase, while it would take almost double the time to do the same in Competitive mode.
Wingman ranks will not affect your regular Competitive rank in any way. If a player has ranks on both normal Competitive and Wingman modes, two separate ranks will be displayed on the player’s profile, with the Wingman rank being placed below the Competitive rank.
Like regular Competitive, the game adds up the ranks of both players in a team and matches them with enemies with a similar average rank. However, due to the low population of Wingman players, unfair mismatches in the matchmaking system could often occur to avoid long queue times.
How To Play Wingman In CS:GO
To hop into a Wingman game, players often grab a friend to duo queue with. If you, unfortunately, do not have any friends to invite, you can always solo queue and match another lonely player and make friends with them over a game of Wingman.
Here is a quick rundown of everything you need to know before playing Wingman:
Wingman Rules
As previously mentioned, the Wingman game mode closely follows the same general rules as standard Competitive. However, since only two players are in a team, the number of rounds, round timer, and money system works differently.
- Wingman only has 16 total rounds.
- The first team to 9 rounds wins.
- The round timer is reduced to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- The game immediately ends in a draw; there is no overtime.
These rules allow for faster-paced games in Wingman. Since you do not have four teammates to work with, there shouldn’t be too much strategy involved when playing this game mode.
Wingman Maps
Players will also play in smaller versions of the most popular CS:GO competitive maps and can only play around one bomb site instead of two, which is required to fit the number of players in the game (four).
There are either fences or walls that prevent players from leaving the area, designing the map for fast-paced gameplay.
As of now, in Counter-Strike 2, players can only play a total of four Wingman maps:
How To Get Wingman Rank In CS:GO
Similar to getting a rank in regular Competitive mode, players must go through a calibration period. During the calibration period, players will be put up against opponents from various skill levels to test the player’s potential.
To obtain a Wingman rank, a player must win ten Wingman matches to have the game put them in a particular skill level. Though winning ten games can sound like a hassle, keep in mind that Wingman matches will tend to last half the duration of a Competitive mode match.
These Wingman games often run for less than 20 minutes, allowing players to play three matches per hour. Realistically, it won’t take you more than two days to get your rank.
How Does Wingman Rank ELO Work?
Unfortunately, like the regular ranking system, Valve has yet to reveal how the Wingman ELO system is calculated. However, the Counter-Strike community has gathered potential factors that affect how much ELO a player wins or loses from a game of Wingman:
- The region you are playing in.
- The average Wingman rank of your opponents.
- The Wingman rank of your teammate.
- Your KDA (Kills, Deaths, Assists) at the end of the match.
- The number of Round MVPs awarded.
- Difference in rounds won/lost.
Defeating opponents with a higher-average Wingman rank is one of the fastest ways to increase your Wingman rating. Additionally, aim for a positive KDA and collect as many Round MVPs as possible by defusing the bomb.
How To Increase Wingman Rank Fast
Ranking up in Wingman is infinitely easier than increasing your matchmaking rank. If you refer to these tips below, you will reach the Wingman Global Elite rank quickly!
Find The Right Partner
Playing with a friend you’re familiar with is always the best choice compared to solo queuing and getting a random stranger. The right partner could be a friend that has a higher skill level than you, as these players can teach you new things and maybe carry you, too.
Still, even if your friend isn’t superior in skill, the most important part is both of you have chemistry from playing and knowing each other. This can lead to easy and quicker decision making in tense situations.
Communicate Effectively
Just like any competitive game, efficient and clear communication is key to finding success in the Wingman game mode. Since you’re only playing with one other player, the comms should not be as clogged as when five players are talking at the same time.
The Wingman maps are very small and tight, making it important for quick callouts to be relayed.
Master One Of The Four Maps
The Wingman ranking system will not take into account which maps you play. Unlike the Premier game mode, players can select which map they want to play, and there is no minimum amount to choose from.
You can focus on one of the Wingman maps and practice it with your partner. Together, both of you can practice proper grenade lineups, as utility plays a key factor in a Wingman game. Since only one bomb site is available, learning lineups will not take too long.