If you’ve been familiar with PC gaming since the early 2000s, you’ve probably heard of Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or more commonly known as CS:GO. Valve’s first-person shooter has been a huge success since its release in 2012. In this JV FACTS, we come back to details that you probably don’t know.

A return to basics

Originally released in November 2000, Counter-Strike is a first-person shooter multiplayer game that introduced many players to their first LANs. Unlike FPS of the moment like Unreal Tournament or Quake III Arena, Counter Strike tried to anchor its universe in reality, especially the conflicts in the Middle East. We then find a game where two teams compete: the terrorists, against the anti-terrorists. The goal is simple, the terrorists must place a bomb in a specific location, and their opponents must stop them. Designed as a Half Life multiplayer mode, Counter Strike is based on the latter’s engine, the GoldSrc, a modified version of ID Software’s Quake Engine. In 2004, it is already the renewal, Counter-Strike : Source points the tip of its nose by offering the player the same principle, but taking advantage of the improvements linked to their brand new engine: Source. A powerful engine that propels you to the forefront of the PC gaming scene. Improved graphics, particles all over the place, and state-of-the-art technical stability. It was in 2012 that Valve decided to give beauty to their flagship multiplayer game, by offering Counter-Strike : Global Offensive. Still under the source engine, the developers are adding new weapons, a better matchmaking system, and up-to-date graphics. Counter Strike: Global Offensive was born, and remains popular today.

An ever-increasing enthusiasm

With a game that crosses several generations of players, a well-balanced experience and above all a very important modding scene, it was obvious that Counter Strike is propelled into the most played games in history. CS:GO peaked at over one million players, the highest record ever on Steam. As of this writing, over 600,000 players are competing in the game. Beyond the inherent qualities of the title, it is Valve’s entire sharing policy that encourages players to play Counter Strike. Indeed, thousands of mods, custom games, and various activities are offered by players via the Steam Workshop. A way for Valve to retain its players even more, but above all to earn even more money with the paid skins system.

Categorized in: