Note: [*] Department of Econometrics, Prague University of Economics and Business, nám. W. Churchilla 1938/4, 130 67, Praha, Czech Republic.
Note: [***] Department of Business Administration, University of New York in Prague, Londýnská 41, 120 00, Praha, Czech Republic.
Abstract: This paper aims to test the validity of the esports ranking system published by HLTV, which is widely recognized and used for ranking teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The results of the study demonstrate that the HLTV ranking system has a reasonable level of explanatory power in predicting the outcomes of CS:GO matches. Furthermore, the study reveals that the difference in abilities between two consecutively ranked players decreases as their ranking in CS:GO gets lower, similar to tennis rankings, resulting in a pyramid-like structure. As a result, spectators, sponsors, and bettors can rely on the information provided by the ranking system to make informed decisions and enhance their viewing experience during tournaments.
Keywords: Esports, counter-strike: global offensive, video games
DOI: 10.3233/ICG-230229
Journal: ICGA Journal, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 2-15, 2023
