It was hinted, it was speculated, it’s been foreseen, and it’s finally here. Not long after the colorfully chaotic Broken Fang ended, CSGO players received a new content update – Operation Riptide.
Are we surprised that it dropped? Not really. Are we astonished with what it provides? Absolutely! The September update CSGO content is such a gem to both those who treat the game seriously and those who just like vibing with it. Join us on a critical review of the new operation!
The Setting Of Operation Riptide
While the previous season pass brought players into the conjoined world of urban skirmishes and a mezoamerican throwback reflected in the new Competitive map, Ancient, this time around we are getting a more tropical and rural setting to go with.
The opening intro of the operation sees two Ts just chilling in the premise of a cottage that later proved to be a part of the new Danger Zone map, County. Skipping stones and laughing they are suddenly confronted by a diver task force member blasting out of the lake waters.
Taking a bird’s eye view of the whole content update, we see more themes of jungle, outskirts, small villages and natural materials. Some agents that were introduced before got some new outfits that are more suitable for an adventure in the countryside. The weapon skins from all the new collections often include imitations of natural materials or very floral and organic patterns.
Speaking of weapon skins, well…
One Case, Four New Collections
That’s right, you read it right, Valve is stepping up the update game with one more community case skins collection that we are used to. And the skins in all of them? Splendid!.. well, mostly.
Riptide Case
A welcome, but intriguing change? The possibility to drop grenades. This seemingly simple mechanic might have immense repercussions on nade strategies. It’s not only about exchanging utilities between players, but also the fact that now it’s literally possible to make stacks of them during one round.
In the background, quietly, hostage maps also got their new feature. CTs can now buy a ballistic shield, like the one that was recently available to Danger Zone contestants. This might make it easier to protect hostages carried to the rescue zone.
Operation Riptide Summary
Contrary to the operation’s name, the new update is a real influx of new content and brings with it a wind of change. The spiteful might say that this probably alludes to a decrease of active users after the recent Prime update, but hey, changes have been made, love it or leave it. The amount of new fun is frankly enough to get every pessimistic soul on board.
What’s interesting market-wise, it’s the second batch of community skins this year, leaving the stock really saturated with rarely dropping items. How much scarcity can be induced further? Will it lift the prize of every uncommon skin, as it usually did, or will it eventually demotivate participation? We’ll see what the tides of the market bring.
That was a lot to process! Anything else you’ve spotted about the Operation Riptide and think is worth mentioning? Let us know here or on our Discord channel. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for a daily dose of CS GO content.
(And no, I’m not ending this article with a surfing reference, you can’t make me.)