Operation Broken Fang – It’s Finally Here
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Ever since Operation Shattered Web ended in March, we were all waiting for what Valve would bring us next… and whether it would come in 2020 at all. After all, Shattered Web came after a 2-year break from all operations, making us fear that perhaps we’d once again spend the winter without new CS:GO content.
However, with the holiday season in full swing, rumours started to arise that something big was coming to CS:GO in late November… It didn’t.
As per Valve tradition (there is a reason why Valve time is a thing), after a few weeks of uncertainty and many, many tweets from CS:GO influencers revealing that something big is indeed coming, Operation Broken Fang was released on December 3rd… and boy, was it worth the wait.
The Story of Operation Broken Fang
Let’s be honest here, not a lot of people play CS:GO for the Operation stories, however, let’s just summarize the gist of the theme of Broken Fang for you. Essentially, Cops vs Robbers, with new agent skins for SWAT and the Professionals—a group of robbers.
We’ll leave you to experience the details on your own through the missions in-game if you’re really interested in Counter-Strike’s story and lore. But if we’re going to be real here, we all know that they’re all only means to an end… Skins.
Operation Broken Fang Skins
Operation Broken Fang has added three brand new collections and one new case to the game. Collectively, we believe that this is the best skin drop ever, and we’re going to show you some of our favourites, starting with the eponymous case.
Operation Broken Fang Case
M4A1-S | Printstream
Boy, it didn’t take long for the Printstream to become the new Asiimov and just start taking over designs, huh? JTPNZ’s work is amazing though, and the clean, minimalistic-yet-futuristic design is definitely a fresh addition to an already-strong M4A1-S lineup.
Glock-18 | Neo-Noir
If you’ve ever read a single article from us where a Neo-Noir skin was featured, you’d know we absolutely stan this design, and boy, does it work for the Glock. This might soon become the most expensive skin for the weapon, and is a worthy addition to any vaporwave/synthwave/neo-noir collection.
AWP | Exoskeleton
We often call the Atheris the budget Medusa. Well, the Exoskeleton is the budget Gungnir. A wonderful and detailed Gunsmith finish, we’re surprised it’s Classified and not Covert because it definitely could be the latter rarity. Big ups for Rozzy, for whom this skin is the first to be added to CS:GO, showing that despite rumours to the contrary, Valve is still ready to work with new creators.
The Control Collection
AWP | Fade
Prepare your wallets, this will get expensive. We’re almost certain to write a whole feature about this skin once we see all its patterns and variants, but the Fade finish on this particular weapon might add a new dimension to AWP skin trading. Either way, it’s absolutely stunning and will definitely replace some Dragon Lore and Gungnir’s in pro inventories.
USP-S | Target Acquired
Beep, boop, bap. Inspired by military radar interfaces, this game brings up memories of 90s RTS games. Or the old Hitman map. Whatever the case, it’s a stunning skin that will surely fit some retro collections.
UMP-45 | Crime Scene
This skin has a hilarious, wonky concept yet it works somehow. The police-siren background combined with the classic crime-scene tape make for a really cool UMP skin that will definitely work with other, similarly “silly” concepts, for some awesome cartoonish sets.
The Havoc Collection
AK-47 | X-Ray
Wow. Just Wow. While the M4A4 | X-Ray was definitely an underrated use of this interesting concept, the AK-47 is done right. A really nice colourway that highlights the X-Ray ever so well looks really cool, and will definitely become the most interesting AK skin in the Kalashnikov’s top-tier offering.
AWP | Silk Tiger
Valve is really spoiling us with AWP skins this Operation, and the Silk Tiger is a slick and vibrant combination of the classic Orange-and-Blue contrast, combined with very basic-yet-good-looking Tiger artwork. Definitely goes well with a Tiger Tooth knife.
Galil AR | Phoenix Blacklight
Our Head of Content would probably have my head if I didn’t feature this skin. It has an awesome graffiti vibe grounded in CS:GO lore. It’s cartoonish, yet full of intricate detail. We’d definitely love to see more skins go in this direction.
MAC-10 | Hot Snakes
SNEKS? SNEKS! This slithery skin is a perfect example of a concept skin done right. The scaly design looks detailed, yet it doesn’t go over the top and will feel right at home in any animal-themed loadout.
The Ancient Collection
M4A1-S | Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle, we’ve got more SNEKS! At this point, we might start to think about creating a snake-themed loadout for all of you, and this skin would definitely be the star there. A really cool design combined with fun, tribal detailing is definitely a good look for the Ancient Collection’s rarest skin.
AK-47 | Panthera Onca
Finally, the AK-47 Jaguar done right. It’s far more detailed than its black-furred brother (Panthera Onca actually is the Latin name for a Jaguar) and looks like it’s been taken straight out of a Jungle Combatant’s armoury. A great addition to any jungle collection for sure.
AUG | Carved Jade
This one is really cool because of how simple it is. Like the Glock-18 Candy Apple and other similar skins, the one-colour finish really works to help players create a minimalistic collection that just works. Really good look.
Other Operation Broken Fang Items
Skins aren’t the only new item in the Operations. We’ve finally seen brand new Gloves, along with Agent Skins, stickers, graffiti and skill group patches as well as some fancy new maps, including Ancient, a new competitive map. We’re going to be doing deep-dives into some of them in the future, so be sure to stay tuned throughout the next couple of weeks.
New Gameplay Content
The biggest change in this operation is, however, what was added to CS:GO gameplay. With a new ping system that is bound to help non-English speaking users communicate with others, as well as detailed stats and the addition of a much-requested Retakes mode, the Operation really shows how much undiscovered potential CS:GO had up to this point. We might do deep-dives on this in the future, however, we’ll take a moment to discuss the new mode right now.
Retake This!
Retakes have been a community game mode for what seems like forever now, and we even had our very own retake server so players could try their hands at the fast-paced, “shortened” version of competitive CS:GO.
Retakes basically are a mode where three Terrorists defend a planted bomb from four Counter-Terrorists. Fast-paced, thrilling and good practice for both defending and attacking a planted bomb, this will definitely be a fun way to warm-up before you go all-in on competitive games.
What’s Next?
The operation is a massive step forward for Counter-Strike in terms of content, and we have a lot to discover and discuss. Throughout the next few weeks, we’re going to be doing deep-dives into each aspect of the operation both here and on our YouTube channel so be sure to subscribe there, and pop back in here every once in a while for all the newest content about Operation Broken Fang.
