Table Of Content
hltv.org
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive maintains its status as one of the most popular and well-respected games in the multiplayer genre. Six years after its release, it is still a powerhouse in terms of player base and support from game developers. This popularity has spawned dedicated communities across the internet, like HLTV, where you can find the latest tournaments and news related to CS:GO.
HTLTV and CS:GO relevancy
Counter Strike's longstanding popularity and competitive prowess can be attributed to its well-rounded gameplay, active community, and low barrier to entry. In recent years, other Sims-themed games such as Overwatch have grown in popularity, but CS:GO remains the cornerstone of competitive online gaming. Its simple mechanics and lack of DLC makes it an appealing option for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike.
CS:GO - A prominent title on streaming platforms
HLTV.org's massive traffic is primarily due to the prominence of CS in gaming and across streaming platforms as well as the impact it has had on many players' lives. This is evident in the number of dedicated websites that feature only CS:GO content.
What is HLTV?
HLTV is the most popular CS:GO news coverage website on the planet. It provides you with up-to-the-minute information about what's happening in the world of CS, including live results and scores. Additionally, HLTV allows you to subscribe to your favorite matches and get notification about them, as well as watch recent news, view tournament standings, and check out matches and results according to your own schedule.
I will be solely focusing on the website design and layout, as I have nothing to say about the content. I will share my opinion about the website and streaming experience.
Design
For first timers, browsing around HLTV.org can be daunting. The website seems disorganized and there is a lot of content happening all across the screen. However, this feeling will pass and you'll quickly get used to the interface. Aesthetically, HLTV.org isn't the best streaming website but with content being its main focus, there are hardly any expectations. There are more than a few main sections on the website and we'll discuss them one after the other.
Header
The main items on the website's header are a link to resources that matter and nine main menu options. Each of the menu options has its own dedicated inner page that highlights a particular category. Besides the organized menu, there are plenty of other links on the website that provide more detailed information about what's available.
CS:GO News
Let's discuss the main categories starting with CS:GO News. This section is well divided based on time, so you can access pages and browse efficiently with relative ease. On the right side, you can find ongoing or upcoming matches.
If you click on any of the fixtures, you'll land on a separate page with detailed information about the match. This includes the date and time of the match, maps, teams, gaming journals, statistics, rosters, key players, historic data and user comments. You can also place bets on which team you think will win. (We'll cover betting later).
Matches
The Matches page is divided into three sections: the left block, the right block, and the middle block. The left block contains various options such as Special match of the week, events, filters for match search, the status of a match, teams/participants and type. The right block contains recent matches and the results if clicked on the ?latest activity? option. The middle section includes live matches which are being streamed live and upcoming matches which will be posted in the future.
Results
On the results page, you can see three sections - the left block has a time filter, the middle block has past results of matches along with detailed statistics and recommends results, and finally the right block has recent activities.
Events
The events page is one of the busiest pages on the website where you can filter an event using a prize pool. You can find current events and upcoming events along with other details such as Dates, Venue, Teams, Duration and Price Pool on this page. You can even get details about each participating team.
Stats
The HLTV stats page has a dedicated column on the left. Aside from that, it has navigation, maps and other filter options. One of the most important options on this page is Best Players, which includes stats for players in each role. The column also includes Firepower-Teamwork-Utility (FTU), Top Events, Flashes and Pistol Rounds.
Gallery
Gallery has a dedicated page that is full of images and video albums of events. When you open the page, you can find data and the ability to browse via tournament, dates, season, prize pool, venue and so on.
Forums
This is one of HLTVâs biggest strengths. The forums are where the community engages with fellow users and poses all kinds of questions. As part of HLTV, you can also start a discussion by asking a question to the HLTV admin department. In addition, you can even provide advice to management and recommend improvements.
Bets
On the Bets page, you can find odds on the nearest matches from 16 leading bookmaker companies. The highlighted bets depict safe bets which are marked blue in color.
Live
Live streaming on this website is by far the most entertaining section. You can access a variety of live streams without any ads. You can watch replays and stream without any issues. You can chat with the streamers and viewers and see every player's money, deaths, kills, and score by maps.
Streaming Quality & Compatibility
Despite the fact that the website lacks visual appeal, there is a lot of information and data that is included throughout the website. I was expecting an average streaming experience, but the quality was simply phenomenal.
Desktop/Mobile experience
The website is very quick. Sure, it?s not the best when it comes to aesthetics but the overall user experience is more than satisfactory.
Even when you access it from mobile, the streaming experience is as responsive as your desktop. It fits with all mobile screen resolutions and looks great on any device. Sure, there are some advertisements here and there, but they don't take anything away from the overall streaming experience.
To stream this website, I advise you to be patient. There's a lot of data on there and it can be hard to browse the pages, check individual pages one after the other, or else you'll get overwhelmed.
Plans & Pricing
HLTV. org is a free streaming website for professional level CS:GO matches. You can sign up, log in, and stay up-to-date with what?s happening in the world of CS:GO on a professional level. If you?d like to play CS:GO yourself, you can either buy the free edition on Steam for offline play or can spend $14.99 for full access. Though it?s not specifically related to HLTV.org, myself being a CS fan, I?d love for you to give the game a try if you haven?t yet done it.
Suggestions I have for HLTV
While HLTV undoubtedly is a large platform with an impressive user base, the user interface appears to be quite basic. I believe by adding a few talented developers, you could update the website and app to improve their appearance and possibly draw more users who would stay glued to the network. However, if this were in 2010, I wouldn't be complaining; however, in present times people find dated layouts rather unpalatable.
Conclusion
If you love CS:GO like I do, you must check out HLTV.com.
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