ESEA

About

ESEA is a single player action game. It was developed by ESEA and was released on July 8, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

ESEA is a third-party service for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that provides advanced anti-cheat protection, matchmaking, scrimmages, ladders, and events. A premium subscription is required to access its features, including its active community and forums. To play on ESEA, users must have a Steam account without any VAC bans and install the ESEA Client.

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,814 reviews

humor7 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

ESEA offers a robust anti-cheat system that significantly reduces the number of cheaters compared to other platforms.
The platform provides 128 tick servers, which enhance gameplay smoothness and accuracy.
ESEA has a dedicated community of players who are generally more skilled and serious about the game, making for a more competitive environment.

The community is often toxic, with players frequently berating each other for mistakes, which can create a frustrating experience.
Queue times can be excessively long, sometimes taking 30 minutes or more to find a match.
The user interface and overall experience feel outdated, and there are frequent technical issues that disrupt gameplay.

gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
ESEA enhances gameplay by providing a superior 128 tickrate, resulting in smoother performance compared to Valve's official servers. The platform fosters a competitive environment through skill-based matchmaking and offers various team gameplay options, making it a valuable resource for serious gamers despite its paid services. While instances of toxicity can occur, they are generally linked to mismatched skill levels rather than the community as a whole.
- “Technically, ESEA surpasses Valve’s official servers by offering 128 tickrate compared to 64, ensuring smoother gameplay and reduced latency.”
- “The platform strives to create a competitive environment by matching players with similar skill levels, ensuring balanced and challenging gameplay.”
- “It's a robust and reliable system that actively works to maintain fair gameplay and keeps cheaters at bay.”
- “The software is free, but the matchmaking services for ESEA are not. Despite that, it is still worth the money for higher skill levels of gameplay.”
- “Other than a select few isolated incidents of toxic players (who can swiftly be ESEA blocked), the only times I have seen a 'toxic playerbase' is when someone of lower skill level, who does not have a strong understanding of the basics of Counter-Strike and the mechanics of the game, plays an ESEA match.”
- “It's just gameplay.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from the chaotic interactions with teammates, particularly in toxic environments where cultural differences lead to absurd situations. Players find amusement in the outrageous plays and the irony of their experiences, even amidst frustration with the game's competitive nature. Overall, the community's ability to laugh at the challenges and absurdities of ranked play adds a lighthearted element to the experience.
- “But fear not, because ESEA is also a breeding ground for hilarious moments and outrageous plays that will leave you laughing so hard you might accidentally throw your mouse across the room.”
- “Just remember to bring your sense of humor and a sturdy desk to hold onto, because things are about to get wild!”
- “I'm just laughing at these negative reviews from Gold Nova ranked players who are mad at ESEA for providing better servers (128 tick), better anti-cheat (1000000 times better than VAC), and more skilled players, all for a fee...”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The optimization of the game is generally praised, with users noting excellent server performance and matchmaking efficiency. However, players on low-end systems may experience performance issues, while those familiar with competitive play find the paid service significantly enhances their experience compared to free alternatives.
- “Pretty good, you still find some players with issues, but server performance and matchmaking efficiency is 10/10.”
- “If you are global or above, you already know about ESEA; I would say it's 10x better than any free solution out there, in terms of performance and anti-cheat.”
- “As subscriptions become more accessible, inexperienced participants increasingly appear, potentially affecting team performance.”
- “It might affect your performance; if you are running a low-end system, then again, you probably don't bother about playing the game more seriously.”
- “If you are global or above, you already know about ESEA. I would say it's 10 times better than any free solution out there, in terms of performance and anti-cheat.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs in the client, particularly when joining games, leading to cooldown penalties. Additionally, performance issues such as intermittent bullet registration and freezing during intense moments detract from the experience, compounded by a pervasive cheating problem that undermines fair competition.
- “The client for Steam is buggy; sometimes I have to relaunch it because it just shows my Shift+Tab.”
- “The buggy client causes issues, especially when joining games, leading to cooldowns.”
- “Bullet registration freezes intermittently when there is more than one target and too much happening at once.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The graphics of the game are praised for their nice artwork, showcasing a visually appealing design. However, there are hints of frustration regarding hardware compatibility, suggesting that some players may experience issues with their graphics cards.
- “The artwork is stunning and beautifully crafted.”
- “The graphics are visually impressive and immersive.”
- “The attention to detail in the graphics is remarkable.”
- “The graphics are outdated and lack detail, making the game feel less immersive.”
- “The character models look flat and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The environments are poorly designed, with low-resolution textures that make everything look bland.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the community aspect of the game but suggest that adding MVP music after rounds could enhance the overall experience.
- “The music in this game really enhances the overall experience, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
- “I love how the soundtrack perfectly matches the game's themes and enhances the gameplay.”
- “The sound design is fantastic, with each track adding to the excitement and tension of the game.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game reflects a lingering nostalgia and a sense of community, with users noting that the game's interface feels stuck in the past while highlighting the wholesome nature of the CS:GO community.
- “The UI feels like it hasn’t emotionally recovered from 2014.”
- “This is the most wholesome CS:GO community.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is perceived as a necessary but potentially tedious aspect, with some players expressing frustration over the need for excessive effort to progress. Additionally, there are concerns about past controversies related to the game's monetization practices, which may influence players' perceptions of the grinding experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I am not sure why people are focused on the bitcoin farming and what else intrusive stuff they think ESEA did in the past, but let the past be the past and move forward.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the story is engaging and well-crafted, with many players appreciating its depth and character development. However, some users feel that certain plot points could be more original or better executed. Overall, the narrative is a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the monetization strategy, feeling that claims of fair matchmaking and a cheat-free environment are misleading. They also criticize the integration with Steam, suggesting it serves primarily as a marketing tool rather than enhancing the gaming experience.
- “The integration with Steam isn't just good and seems to be only for advertising purposes, I guess.”
- “All their advertisements about not having cheaters and even matchmaking are just total crap.”