PUG Services - quick guide

In every Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player playcycle comes the time, when Valve matchmaking just isn't enough. You want some higher skilled played, you want some better 128 tick servers. And this is where pug (pick up group) services comes into player. Let give me a quick look at some of them. Let's begin!

Before we begin...

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the most competitive game available right now - it's not ment for Casual players (althou there is casual mode) and if you decided to play it, it means that you want to achieve something. Maybe you want to get to the highest rank to matchamking - or get into some real CSGO action.

In this guide i'll present to you some PUG services. Well, what's the point of them? To be honest, they're the real deal in the game.

PUG services let you play with higher skilled players, keep their own statistics and the most important - offer you better 128 ticks servers.

But first, what is that "tickrate" everyone is whining about? Well, let's check what Valve have to say about it...

During each tick, the server processes incoming user commands, runs a physical simulation step, checks the game rules, and updates all object states. After simulating a tick, the server decides if any client needs a world update and takes a snapshot of the current world state if necessary. A higher tickrate increases the simulation precision, but also requires more CPU power and available bandwidth on both server and client."

In short - more information gets send by server and received by player - and that makes every shot register correctly. But... it's only theory. Luckily, GigaForced help us here with his video that shows why 64 tick "isn't exactly what we expect".

I think up to this point i conviced you to at least try playing on PUG - to feel the diffrence of gameplay. So, let's begin.

Setting up correct rates

Better servers requires better settings that makes sure everything sends and receives correctly.

Most of services suggests these settings:

• cl_interp 0
  
• cl_interp_ratio 1
  
• rate 128000
  
• cl_cmdrate 128
  
• cl_updaterate 128
  
• cl_allowdownload 1
  
• cl_downloadfilter 0
  
• cl_disablehtmlmotd

You set it up? Great! Let's get to some real action.

Leetway

First we're going to start with free and the most known PUG service - which is Leetway.



You can find Leetways site right here - http://leetway.com/.

This pug requires EAC Anti-Cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat), you can find it right here - http://leetway.com/anticheat.

This PUG is the most known free service, so there is always someone playing - from diffrent world regions.

However, as it is the most known one sometimes you can meet people that have only one objective - to screw your game up. In other words cheaters. However, they are becoming more rare as EAC gets more updates. Good. Very good.

Pros:

• Lots of players
  
• Leetway can allow EAC, VAC (this turns drops on too) and SMAC (Source Mod Anti Cheat) at the same time

Cons:

• Possiblity of cheaters
  
• Takes a long time to get into game due to lobby system

eetway has the ability to allow EAC, VAC (it has SMAC - Source Mod Anti Cheat too) at the same time. This is uncommon for EAC implementations, and was done with a deal with EAC. With VAC on the server, it allows skin drops like any other VAC secure server (Link).

altPUG

altPUG is the second free PUG service out there. It's not known so well as Leetway - and it has it pros and cons.



You can find offical site right here - http://altpug.com/
altPUG requires it own client, you can get it right here - http://altpug.com/

Everyday there are at least two servers full - and i'll be happy if there were more after this guide. You can find some great games there - i really had great fun there.

Pros:

• Statistics
  
• Not that much hacks atm. due to being not that well known

Cons:

• Not that many people

ESEA

ESEA is the most known PUG service - also, it's paid one. And it's pretty expensive.



ESEA is available right here - http://play.esea.net/
ESEA uses its own client, you can get it here - http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=downloads&d=download&id=1

As its paid service meeting cheater out there is almost impossible. However if you meet one he's banned pretty much instantly.

There a lot of players playing there, and also a lot of servers - but is it worth? It's up to you. However, if you want to try this service before buing subscription (which is $6.95/month) just keep a look out on pro players facebook pages - sometimes they post premium codes that gets you one week trial.

Pros:

• A lot of players, high skilled players
  
• A lot of servers
  
• Statistics

Cons:

• Pretty expensive
  
• reCAPTCHA (be sure to remember your password, as retrieving it can cost you a lot of time)
  
• No deadtalk
  
• It has some bad past reputation
  
• Only servers in Europe, USA and Brazil

ESL Versus

Another free PUG is ESL service - ESL Versus.


You can find it right here - http://www.esl.eu/eu/versus/
It requires Wire anticheat, download it right here - http://www.esl.eu/eu/wire/

ESL Versus is multi-game PUG service and CSGO is one of games offered.

Pros:

• ESL Wire
  
• A lot of players from USA

Cons:

• Games are hosted by players
  
• Not much players from Europe

It's only a beggining...

Keep in mind that CSGO scene is growing very fast after Valves actions. There will be more PUG services soon - i'll try to update this guide as soon and as fast as i can.

If you have any ideas or questions - just contact me.

Thanks to everyone who made this guide better:

• YoloSwag9000
  
• LashLash
  
• phweeeee

[✪ ︻DaViNciii︻ THOTH recin]

this is seriously helpless but i appreciate the wishful thinking and creative efforts you made for us.. lol there's no hope for cs go anymore im thinking..

[Ⓖⓐⓑⓔ Ⓝⓔⓦⓔⓛⓛ]

faceit is rubbish because you only play overpass

[hergu]

Sorry for any kind of errors, i am not native speaker.

[★H4V3N]

Very nice guide, besides some grammatical errors. I'd recommend it.

[parasemic]

FaceIt seems horrible, though :D

[hergu]

i'll add it.

[Nalle]

Where is faceit?

[parasemic]

you forgot FaceIt

[SevenDEF]

nice !

[Bakchod]

india?