Gun Game
A deathmatch mode where kills cycle through weapons from weakest to strongest.
Gun Game is a multiplayer mode that began as a mod for *Counter-Strike*. It later appeared in other first-person shooters, becoming an official mode in the *Call of Duty* series, *Counter-Strike: Global Offensive* and *Counter-Strike 2* (called "Arms Race"), and *Valorant* (called "Escalation"), among others. A single-player version using close-combat weapons was modded into *Dark Souls*.
In a round, all players start with the same weak weapon. Each kill immediately upgrades the player's gun to a more powerful one, cycling through the game's arsenal from weakest to strongest. Dying resets the killed player's progress upon respawn. Later weapons are generally stronger but can be trickier to use, like sniper rifles. The final tier replaces the gun with a combat knife; a kill with the knife wins the round and restarts the game. Arenas are usually small and symmetrical to avoid giving either side an advantage.
Critics have praised Gun Game for being enjoyable and for boosting a game's appeal because rounds are short. Ben Kidson of PCGamesN liked *CS:GO*'s Arms Race, calling standard *Counter-Strike* a "long slog" and noting that Gun Game's near-immediate respawn differs from typical permadeath, while the lack of gun purchasing felt "oddly liberating". Craig Pearson of *Rock Paper Shotgun* described Arms Race as "if someone accidentally tumble-dried Counter-Strike". Wesley Yin-Poole of *Eurogamer* called *Call of Duty: WWII*'s version "especially awesome" but highlighted a problem with AFK players, who exploit the mode's quick rounds for in-game incentives and called for developer punishment. Imogen Beckhelling of *Rock Paper Shotgun* called *Valorant*'s Escalation "exactly the sort of game I crave", noting it randomized special abilities for "brilliant chaos" but wanted even more chaos. Jeremy Peel of *PC Gamer* said *Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War*'s Gun Game, "a mode that might be older than some of *Cold War*'s players", had a challenging curve due to sniper rifles but offered "one of the finest highs" when winning. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of *Rock Paper Shotgun* called Gun Game the "bestest-best game mode". The mode is noted to suffer more than others from AFK players, who become easy targets and can stack the game toward worse players.
- Field
- Video game mode
- Known for
- Deathmatch variant where each kill upgrades the player's weapon
- First appearance
- Counter-Strike mod
- Notable adaptations
- Call of Duty series, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Dark Souls
Lore & Background
At the beginning of a Gun Game round, all players start with an equally weak weapon. Defeating an enemy causes the player's gun to increase in tier, while a player who is killed has their progress reset when they respawn. Later guns are usually stronger, but may be harder to use, such as sniper rifles. Reaching the highest tier causes the player's gun to be replaced with a combat knife; scoring a kill with the knife causes that player to win, and the entire game to restart. The arenas used for the mode are typically small and symmetrical, so neither side has an advantage.
Reader's Guide
Gun Game has been praised by critics as enjoyable and increasing the appeal of games that contain it due to the brevity of each round. Ben Kidson of PCGamesN praised Arms Race in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, describing default Counter-Strike as a 'long slog' and noting the near-immediate respawn as opposed to typical permadeath. Wesley Yin-Poole of Eurogamer described Call of Duty: WWII's version as 'especially awesome', but noted a major problem with AFK players encouraged by Special Order incentives. Imogen Beckhelling of Rock Paper Shotgun called Valorant's Escalation mode 'exactly the sort of game I crave', describing it as 'brilliant chaos'. Jeremy Peel of PC Gamer described the Gun Game of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War as having 'a challenging curve' due to later sniper rifles, but resulting in 'one of the finest highs'. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Rock Paper Shotgun said Gun Game was the 'bestest-best game mode'. The mode suffers more than typical game modes from players who AFK, becoming easy targets and potentially stacking the game towards otherwise worse players.
Did You Know?
- Gun Game was first introduced as a Counter-Strike mod.
- In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2, the mode is called 'Arms Race'.
- A single-player adaptation of Gun Game with close-combat weapons was modded into Dark Souls.
- Wesley Yin-Poole of Eurogamer noted that Call of Duty: WWII's Gun Game had a major problem with AFK players due to Special Order incentives.
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