OG captain Casper cadiaN Møller commented on the phenomenal playtime figures shown on the profile accounts of some esports professionals. In his view, not all “tens of thousands of hours” are the result of real play: part of that time is accumulated simply by leaving CS running. This has once again raised the discussion about the criteria of “hard work” and genuine dedication to the discipline.
Number of hours
The number of hours in Counter-Strike has long become an image element for professionals. Many players emphasize this metric in interviews, creating an impression of total immersion in the game. At the same time, doubts are often voiced inside the scene about how much these figures correspond to reality. It was cadiaN — one of the most experienced in-game leaders on the modern scene — who decided to openly say what is usually discussed behind the scenes.
Here is how he spoke about players and their in-game hours:
I have often been at bootcamps with people who, when they go to sleep, do not turn off the PC and stay in the game. And then at some point they say in an interview: ‘Oh, I have 22,000 hours in CS,’ and I’m like: ‘Well, that’s not completely true, you know.
What did cadiaN mean?
The esports athlete raised the issue of manipulating playtime statistics. This is not about isolated cases — according to him, the situation repeats itself at bootcamps of different teams. The program remains open and the system continues to count “hours in the game” even when a player is asleep or not at the computer at all. As a result, an artificial image of a “hard-working grinder” is formed that does not correspond to the actual intensity of training.
How does this affect player evaluation?
When fans and young players see figures like 18,000–25,000 hours, they often perceive them as direct proof of talent and diligence. However, cadiaN emphasizes that the “hours in Steam” metric cannot be the only criterion. What really matters is the quality of practice, teamwork, demo analysis, psychological preparation, and consistent performance at LAN tournaments.
A attempt to remove unnecessary romanticism
cadian’s statement is not a criticism of specific players, but rather an attempt to remove unnecessary romanticism around the numbers. Esports has long gone beyond simply “playing as many hours as possible.” A modern professional works with coaches, analysts, sports psychologists, recovery systems, and tactical models. Therefore, artificially “inflated” hours actually harm young players who try to copy mythical indicators instead of building a proper training process.
read more
A guarantee of mastery
cadian’s words are a reminder that a large number in a profile is not a guarantee of mastery. In Counter-Strike, success is determined not only by hours but also by discipline, consistency, work on mistakes, and the quality of training. The discussion initiated by the OG captain may be useful for the entire scene — especially for those who are just starting their path and looking for the right benchmarks.
