The topic of sex is regularly brought up by top CS2 players. Lobanov assured on streams that playing becomes much more difficult after sexual intercourse. Vitality players are prohibited from engaging in sex during tournaments, and communication with loved ones is limited. Furia also enforces a ban on meeting with girlfriends at boot camps and tournaments. However, masturbation before matches is actually encouraged in the community.
"The issue with banning masturbation is easily solved. I'll tell you a fact, but without names. In our team, there was a guy who could masturbate before a game even in the bathroom if he felt the need. And he became the best in the world twice," shared Brazilian player Fer.
Though he was hesitant to reveal the player's identity, everyone understood who he was talking about. Only one player competed alongside Fer and became the world's best CS2 player twice – Coldzera. Marcelo himself laughed in response, as did the other players of the top Brazilian lineup of those years. "We even teased him," recalls Fnx. "Did you catch the little boy with his penis in his hand?" Fer joked back.
Two years ago, the importance of masturbation was also discussed by Virtus.pro captain Jame: "The option to not masturbate and not ejaculate before games probably works for people with low testosterone. But there are real men who simply need to do it daily. Otherwise, they'll be like beasts and won't be able to control their anger."
Testosterone levels recover within a few minutes after sex. Moreover, sexual intercourse only increases its levels in the body, while prolonged abstinence can lower it.
Former pro player Poka has a completely different opinion: "When you masturbate, the game goes differently. Lethargy, fatigue, no motivation to win. You can start a game on FACEIT with friends or with the team, thinking 'just to finish, not to finish the game'. I've come to this realization a long time ago, read a lot of articles about masturbation."
It seems that everyone has a different approach to combining sex and playing CS. And while the ban on meeting with relatives and girlfriends during important tournaments is explained by many reasons, not just intimacy, masturbation does not pose any problems during games.