We’ve all seen the flashy plays on TV—the 4 move checkmates and the bold poker bluffs. But
does the common saying of “no risk no reward” truly hold any competitive advantage? This
study aims to assess this claim through the lens of the popular esports game Counter-Strike (CS).
In CS, two teams of 5 players each are pitted against each other. One team defends two
objectives while the other must capture either one within a given amount of time. Either team
can choose to risk the game early on with an unexpected attack or slowly and cautiously whittle
down their opponents. By measuring the impact of these decisions on the “aggressiveness” of a
team’s strategy, I will model how different teams may adapt their risk tolerance to maximize
their chances of winning. Do aggressive strategies that entail more risk net more successful
outcomes or more “reward” in CS? Could how well a team changes or maintains their
aggressive, risk-taking posture as the game progresses reflect deeper psychological workings?
After all, how well strategies work may vary from sport to sport or game to game, but how
different players respond to risk in order to achieve their goals applies to much more than online
games.