Nexus CS2
North American platform connecting
Counter-Strike players
Role
- Owner
- Product designer
- UI designer
- UX designer
- User research
Year
- June 2024 - future
About the project
Nexus CS2 is a beta-launched platform connecting players, coaches, and teams in the North American Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) scene, with a focus on leagues like ESEA. It addresses gaps in existing tools, streamlining team-building and networking for the competitive community.
Idea
The inspiration for this project struck me upon realizing the proximity of Esports to our daily lives. Its popularity is on the rise every day. For instance, stars from traditional sports like Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Daniil Medvedev became owners or co-owners of esports organisations that are participating in Counter-Strike 2 tournaments.
Problem
The competitive CS2 community faces significant challenges in finding teammates, teams, and coaching opportunities due to a lack of a dedicated platform. Current solutions like Twitter and Discord are disorganized, making it difficult to navigate posts or identify reliable connections. Even Faceit, the leading platform for competitive leagues, lacks features to support networking and team-building. This fragmentation hinders the growth and efficiency of the competitive ecosystem.
Solution
Nexus CS2 provides a streamlined, user-centric platform tailored to the competitive CS2 community. It eliminates the inefficiencies of existing tools by offering:
For players
Find compatible teammates quickly
For Coaches
Showcase expertise and attract clients
For Teams
Streamline recruitment and build stronger rosters
To make Nexus CS2 a comfortable and efficient platform for users, key problems were identified, and tailored solutions were developed to address them:
Problem 1. Difficulty in Finding Compatible Matches:
Current platforms lack the tools to match players and teams based on important criteria like skill level, time zone, and goals.
Solution 1. Streamlined Player and Team Matching:
Nexus CS2 provides advanced filters, enabling users to find ideal teammates or opportunities based on specific criteria like skill level, goals, and availability.
Problem 2. Limited Showcasing Opportunities:
Unstructured profiles make it hard for players, teams, and coaches to highlight their achievements and aspirations, leading to missed connections.
Solution 2. Comprehensive Profiles:
Structured and comprehensive profiles make it easier to showcase expertise and build credibility, fostering meaningful connections.
Problem 3. Disorganized User Experience:
Existing platforms like Twitter and Discord are not designed for competitive gaming, making the process of finding relevant posts or contacts inefficient.
Solution 3. User-Focused Interface:
With a clean, user-focused design, Nexus CS2 eliminates clutter and streamlines the search process, saving users valuable time.
Market research
The global CS2 community is rapidly expanding, with over 1.5 million concurrent players and 20% of the esports market based in North America.
The esports industry is projected to exceed $1.9 billion by 2025, creating a significant growth opportunity.
Nexus CS2 seizes this potential by offering a dedicated platform that meets the unique needs of competitive players, teams, and coaches.
User research
For user research, I interviewed three groups of people: players looking for teams, coaches, and team captains. These interviews revealed key insights into the challenges they face when trying to connect with others in the competitive CS2 community:
Interviewed groups
Players:
14 of the 20 players struggle to find reliable teammates who match their skill level, time zone, and goals.
Coaches:
Coaches (4 interviewed) often have difficulty connecting with teams and promoting their expertise effectively within the community.
Team Captains:
6 of the 9 team captains reported having difficulty finding new players, relying solely on recommendations from friends rather than exploring new options.
Based on these insights, the next step is to create user personas that reflect the needs, goals, and pain points of players, coaches, and team captains.
These personas will guide the design of Nexus CS2 to ensure it effectively addresses the challenges identified in the research.
User personas
Through interviews with competitive players, coaches, and team captains, I gained valuable insights into the unique challenges and goals within the CS2 community. These findings were instrumental in shaping the user personas for Nexus CS2.
Nicki Harris
Age: 21 years old
Education: High School
Hometown: Georgia, US
Occupation: Student
«I need a team that is focused on constantly growing together. Finding committed, skilled players who align with my goals is tough. A platform that connects me with like-minded individuals would be a game-changer.»
🎉 Brief story
A semi-professional CS2 player who has been part of various teams but hasn’t broken into the top-tier competitive scene yet. Plays 6 hours per day, committed to making a career out of esports. Frequently participates in minor leagues and scrims but lacks consistent team opportunities.
Final Product
The dark mode design caters to gamers who typically play in the evening, reducing eye strain during long gaming sessions.
