Counter-Strike’s off-season is here, with the next big tournament taking place in July in the form of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. Given that it’s an entire month without Counter-Strike (more or less), we’re all having to resort to watching other content to fill our days with in the meantime. These are five things I’m watching to stave off the insanity.
The Boys Season 4
This alone is nearly enough to keep me going
Eric Kripke’s The Boys is an incredible show that if you haven’t watched at all, the next month is a great time to get caught up with the show. With season 4 dropping in the form of three episodes, the show is on a weekly release schedule that should see the last episode of this season released right before the Esports World Cup. It’s a crazy romp featuring Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarity, and countless other stars that you may or may not have heard of.
Without giving too much away, even Will Ferrell makes an appearance in the most recent season. Oh, and Tilda Swinton voices an octopus that’s in a questionable (at best) relationship with a main character. If neither of those things are enough to convince you, I don’t know what else can.
Tips, tricks, and nade tutorials
So, so many nade tutorials
I’ve been playing the most Counter-Strike that I’ve ever played in recent months, and that’s meant that I’ve been brushing up on my util. In an unordered list, here are some of the YouTubers that I’ve been watching to keep on top of the game’s meta and consistently learn new things.
- austincs (and his clips channel)
- Wraeth
- NartOutHere
- voo
There are countless more out there too, and we highly recommend having a look around online for some good YouTubers that can teach you a thing or two. These have just been the ones I’ve been watching, but I’m always down to learn some more about my favorite game!
Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa is the Doctor who has me finally coming back to the show
This one’s a little bit out there, but I’ve been watching a ton of Doctor Who since Russell T. Davies’ return with David Tenant, Catherine Tate, and then Ncuti Gatwa as the incumbent Doctor. While I enjoyed parts of both Peter Capaldi and Matt Smith, my time with the show eventually ended around the time of the Pandorica story arc with Matt Smith. I tried to get into it, but I just couldn’t really.
Now, though, things are very different with Ncuti Gatwa. He’s been absolutely phenomenal as the Doctor, and I’m really enjoying some of the interesting storylines that the show is now telling. I haven’t gotten to watch the last couple of episodes just yet, but I’ll be sitting down to watch them as soon as I can.
Richard Lewis
He has some banger content on his YouTube
If you still want your esports fix with a slice of industry knowledge alongside it, Richard Lewis is worth checking out. He streams frequently, but if you don’t catch his streams, his highlights shared on his YouTube channel are great to watch. There are some fantastic breakdowns there of what’s going on in both Counter-Strike and in the wider esports world.
On top of that, Lewis has been around the scene long enough to spot patterns and emerging industry trends. As an analyst, his takes on what’s happening in esports can be insightful. Even if you don’t agree with all of his opinions on what’s happening in the industry, a fresh perspective with an informed viewpoint is always welcome and can help you understand some of what’s going on in the scene.
Smiling Friends
This one’s weird
Hear me out: Smiling Friends is a weird and terrible show that you can derive a lot of enjoyment from. It’s basically a show where two workers at Smiling Friends Inc. try to cheer up those who call the company’s hotline. It’s surreal humor at its finest and a show that you’ll either get or you won’t. A friend of mine showed me this while we were out drinking, and while I’d never admit it to his face, I did enjoy the show.
As a result, I’ve started watching the recently released season 2. It’s all out and available to watch, and the episodes are only about ten minutes long. It’s not an incredibly high-brow show or anything, but it’s good for a laugh if you’re looking to watch something a little bit different. .
