CS:GO's Danger Zone battle royale looked so dreadfully dull compared to the more flavoursome Fortnite and, later, the slick Apex Legends, that I never really gave it a shot. The new Sirocco update makes me wonder if I've been too harsh on what I thought was an also-ran battle royale contender, however, because it actually sounds like it might be quite good.
First off, there's the ping and respawn systems. Two of the best things introduced to the genre/mode by Apex Legends, Danger Zone has been slower than others to add these handy features, but they're available now. Respawning is pretty straightforward, and you won't need to find a specific location to bring someone back. As long as your squad's still around, you can respawn anywhere on the map.
With starting perks, you might end spending less time dead, too. Before you set off, you can pick an item from a list of perks, netting you advantages like the ability to jump extremely far, use your personal parachute, heal yourself or fire off a taser. Handy!
You'll also be able to use a bunch of new items and upgrades found during a match, including bump mines that can send you or your opponents flying into the air. More will be added later, from spy drones that can steal supplies, which sounds awesome, to various money bonuses, rewarding exploration and bomb waves.
There are some additional conveniences, to boot, so all the guns you'll find will come with more ammo, while tablets will reveal nearby weapon crates with "pinpoint precision". You should, hopefully, be able to spend more time shooting people and less time scrounging around for supplies.
Finally, there's the titular map. Sirocco is a desert map with wide open spaces punctuated by towns and kasbahs perfect for ambushes and sneaky attacks, and there's even a network of underground passages to slink through.
Sirocco is live now, and you can read the patch notes here.
