An Ode to the Loveable, Horrible, Wonderful Counter-Strike Community and My First Tournament Experience

At Logitech G Play 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament with a $100,000 prize pool pitted Canadian team Luminosity Gaming against French team 3DMax. Sitting in the bleachers rather than the VIP and press area, the author felt a sense of belonging despite not understanding the Polish commentary. The second game went into two overtimes, and Afro's AWP clutch became an unforgettable moment.