How the AWP and M4A1-s got nerfed
In a recent CS:GO update, Valve reduced the number of shots in the AWP magazine from 10 to 5 bullets. At the same time, Valve reduced the M4A1’s range modifier from 0.99 to 0.94. This means that you now need 5 body shots to kill an enemy on longer range distance. A downgrade of the M4A1-S firepower and with the previous update in mind, where the M4A1-S magazine went from 25 bullets to now 20 bullets, leaves the question of whether or not it’s worth playing with.
A reduction of the AWP magazine size has been a wish for some players for several years, as they believe 10 bullets is too much. Other players think it’s a bad idea as they see no problem with the now-old version. Regardless of whether people think it’s a good idea or a bad idea, the update surely changes the way we are going to see people play with the AWP.
Playing AWP with 5 bullets in a magazine
The AWP is definitely one of the strongest weapons in CS:GO and will continue to be even after it got nerfed. But what does it mean for you who like to play with it, that you now only have 5 shots in a magazine?
Overall, it places higher demands on your decision-making. You will have to reload more often which forces you to have a more passive playstyle. You will no longer be able to repeek as much as you might be used to. The fact that you have to spend 3.67 seconds every time you reload, gives the opponent better opportunities to push forward on the map to gain more map control. So be careful not to go too far when playing CT, unless you have good support from your teammates or you have a special reason for it.
Is the M4A1-S still better than the M4A4?
With a higher degree of balancing between the two weapons, it is guaranteed that more people choose to buy the M4A4 over the M4A1-S. However, the M4A1-S keeps its special advantages, including the ability to fire silently without leaving any visible tracers. Back in the days when the M4A1-S had 5 more bullets in a magazine and only needed 4 body shots to kill an enemy, it was far superior to the M4A4. I’ll leave it up to you, whether or not it’s still the case.