Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a first-person shooter video game which is a part of the Counter-Strike series. It was announced to the public on August 12, 2011, and is developed by Valve Corporation and their partner, Hidden Path Entertainment. The game was later released on August 21, 2012 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, macOS and later Linux as a downloadable title.
On September 27, 2023, Counter-Strike 2 was released, replacing Global Offensive on Steam and forcing all its servers go offline. Support for Global Offensive ended on January 1, 2024. The Xbox 360 version of the game still remains online.[1]
Gameplay
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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive makes a few adjustments to the original gameplay formula of the Counter-Strike series. Compared to Counter-Strike: Source, weapon damage models were rebalanced. There is improved bullet penetration through some walls, materials, and objects. The Radio Commands for bots and players have been updated, among other changes which include (but are not limited to):
- Economy modifications. Ammunition no longer needs to be purchased.
- Graphical updates, in addition to updates for the HUD, crosshair and buy menu VGUI.
- Features a Competitive Matchmaking system based on ELO ranks and Skill groups.
- Support for dedicated servers (PC and Mac only).
- Leaderboards were included in initial release, but were cut in the February 17, 2016 update.
- Allows cross-platform multiplayer play between Microsoft Windows and macOS. PlayStation 3 was previously said to be included, but later dropped.[2]
- Tips and Hints are added to the map loading screen, while Fun facts were added to round-ends that describe interesting facts that happened in the round.
Weapons & Equipment
There are a total of 34 weapons in Global Offensive, 19 of which are exclusive to the game. Among those 19, 10 are replacements of old weapons, retaining their role but are modelled after new guns, and the other 9 are unique weapons with new roles and properties. Returning weapons also have many changes made to their general properties.
Melee
Grenades
Equipment
Melee
Grenades
Equipment
Game Modes
Global Offensive contains several multiplayer game modes.
- Classic Casual and Classic Competitive: Classical game modes of Bomb defusal and Hostage rescue. Casual and Competitive have different rules to better suit casual players and competitive players.
- Bomb Scenario: The Terrorists must plant C4 at a bombsite and the Counter-Terrorists must defend the bombsite.
- Hostage Scenario: The Counter-Terrorists must rescue the hostages and the Terrorists must defend the hostages.
- Wingman (PC only): 2 versus 2 matches on small bomb defusal maps.
- Premier Competitive (PC only): A version of Competitive where the players select Active Duty maps to play through a veto system.
- War Games: Three modes which are not related to the main process in CS:GO.
- Demolition: Fast paced bomb defusal with weapon progression elements.
- Arms Race: Respawning deathmatch where players must progress through a list of weapons.
- Flying Scoutsman (PC only): Gravity is reduced, and all players possess SSG 08 rifles with perfect accuracy.
- Retakes (PC only): A fast-paced game mode where 3 Terrorists defend a planted bomb from 4 Counter-Terrorists.
- Missions (PC only): Game modes that can be played during operations.
- Guardian: 2 players must fend off waves of 5 bots.
- Co-op Strike: 2 players going fight against an AI controlled terrorist team in a story-driven scenario.
- Deathmatch (PC only): Team-based respawning deathmatch.
- Danger Zone (PC only): A fast-paced Battle Royale-type game mode where players fight with others to be the last one standing.
In addition, Global Offensive offers Offline with Bots, which offers the same game modes with AI-controlled bots (with the exception of Danger Zone); and the Weapons Course, a single player map serving as a tutorial and a training mode.
Official Maps
At launch, Global Offensive had a total of 16 official maps: 8 updated classic maps, and 8 brand new maps for the Arsenal game mode. More maps were added to the game in later patches.
Maps added in post-release can only be accessed through the PC version of the game.
Bomb Defusal
Active Duty Pool
- Inferno
- Nuke
- Vertigo (released on October 1, 2012)[3]
- Mirage (released on June 12, 2013)[4]
- Overpass (released on December 18, 2013)[5]
- Ancient (released on December 3, 2020)
- Anubis (became official on August 16, 2022)
Reserves Group
- Dust II
- Train
- Cobblestone (released on December 18, 2013)[5]
- Cache (became official on July 1, 2014)
- Canals (released on March 15, 2017)
- Tuscan (became official on August 16, 2022)
Hostage Rescue
- Italy
- Office
- Assault (released on February 7, 2013)[6]
- Militia (released on March 21, 2013)[7]
- Agency (became official on November 13, 2017)
Wingman
- Cobblestone (Bombsite B)
- Inferno (Bombsite A)
- Lake
- Overpass (Bombsite B)
- Shortdust
- Train (Bombsite A)
- Shortnuke (released on April 20, 2018)
- Vertigo (Bombsite B) (added on January 24, 2019)[8]
- Boyard (became official on December 13, 2022)
- Chalice (became official on December 13, 2022)
Danger Zone
- Blacksite (released on December 6, 2018)
- Sirocco (released on April 30, 2019)
- Ember (became official on February 21, 2022)
- Vineyard (became official on February 21, 2022)
War Games
Arms Race
- Baggage
- Lake *
- Safehouse *
- Shoots
- St. Marc *
- Monastery (released on October 1, 2012)[3]
- Lunacy (released on November 18, 2019)
* Made available to arms race at a later date.
Demolition
Flying Scoutsman
- Lake
- Safehouse
- Shoots
- Dizzy (released on May 23, 2017)
- Lunacy (released on November 18, 2019)
Retakes
Special Event
Halloween
- Cobblestone (released on October 23, 2018)
Winter
- Militia (released on December 17, 2018)
Birthday
- Dust II (released on June 18, 2019)
Control Point
Removed Official Maps
Bomb Defusal
- Balkan (removed in Beta)
- Cranes (removed in Beta)
- Aztec (removed on November 13, 2017)
- Dust (removed on November 13, 2017)
- Shipped (became official on May 23, 2017, removed on October 9, 2018)
- Austria (became official on May 23, 2017, removed on January 24, 2019)
- Subzero (became official on October 9, 2018, removed on January 24, 2019)
- Biome (became official on October 9, 2018, removed on April 25, 2019)
- Abbey (became official on January 24, 2019, removed on April 25, 2019)
- Ruby (became official on April 25, 2019, removed on October 2, 2019)
- Seaside (became official on July 31, 2019, removed on November 18, 2019)
- Zoo (became official on January 24, 2019, removed on November 18, 2019)
- Chlorine (became official on March 31, 2020, removed on July 23, 2020)
- Mutiny (became official on July 23, 2020, removed on December 3, 2020)
- Swamp (became official on July 23, 2020, removed on December 3, 2020)
- Grind (became official on May 3, 2021, removed on September 21, 2021)
- Mocha (became official on May 3, 2021, removed on September 21, 2021)
- Iris (became official on February 21, 2022, removed on August 16, 2022)
- Breach (became official on August 16, 2022, removed on December 13, 2022)
Hostage Rescue
- Insertion (became official on May 23, 2017, removed on October 9, 2018)
- Workout (became official on April 25, 2019, removed on July 31, 2019)
- Climb (became official on February 21, 2022, removed on August 16, 2022)
Wingman
- Rialto (released on May 23, 2017, removed on December 3, 2020)
- Calavera (became official on May 3, 2021, removed on September 21, 2021)
- Pitstop (became official on May 3, 2021, removed on September 21, 2021)
- Crete (became official on February 21, 2022, removed on August 16, 2022)
- Hive (became official on February 21, 2022, removed on August 16, 2022)
- Blagai (became official on August 16, 2022, removed on December 13, 2022)
- Cascade (became official on August 16, 2022, removed on December 13, 2022)
War Games
Demolition
- Alleyway (removed in Beta)
- Depot (removed in Beta)
- Embassy (removed in Beta)
- Shorttrain (removed on November 13, 2017)
Danger Zone
- Jungle (became official on November 18, 2019, removed on July 23, 2020)
- Frostbite (became official on May 3, 2021, removed on September 21, 2021)
Factions
Global Offensive features a mix of old and new factions, with a total of fourteen unique factions. Factions are no longer selectable at the start of a game. Instead, each map has its own specific T and CT factions. It is the second game in the series to do so, following Counter-Strike (Xbox).
Unlike previous Counter-Strike games, where all factions had the same quotes from the same voice actor, each faction now has its own quotes and voice actor.
All factions (aside from the SAS) have five different possible models, randomly chosen upon spawn.
Terrorists |
Counter-Terrorists |
Agent Factions
Terrorists |
Counter-Terrorists |
Cut Factions
Terrorists |
Counter-Terrorists |
Development
- See also: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Beta
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive started off as an Xbox 360 port of Counter-Strike: Source by Hidden Path Entertainment. Seeing this as an opportunity to expand the franchise, Valve turned it into an entirely new game.[9]
Jess Cliffe confirmed the title "Global Offensive" on the official Steam forums on August 11, 2011,[10] while Valve later confirmed with its official announcement on August 12, 2011[11].
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive uses the latest version of the Source engine and is not built off of Counter-Strike: Source. After the success of the previous game, Valve wanted the newest game in the franchise to cater to both the casual and competitive community by including a matchmaking system as well as support for dedicated servers.
Valve announced the beta would begin in October, but after receiving feedback from professional players who had been invited to playtest earlier versions of the beta, Valve decided to delay the beta [12]. After addressing the majority of the issues the closed beta started on November 30, 2011 to a pool of around 10,000 select players. After almost a year of the closed beta, Valve opened the beta up starting August 14, 2012 to anyone who had pre-ordered the game.
As of yet, the console versions have not been updated and are extremely different when compared to their Steam counterpart. It is currently unknown whether or not Valve has plans for updating these versions.
Updates to the game after its release can be tracked at Valve's Product Updates channel.
Post-release
Valve is known for providing active support and continuous updates for its titles, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is no exception. Since the beta ended, Hidden Path Entertainment have stopped its share of the development and Valve has taken over and provided countless updates to the game for everything from bug fixes and gameplay adjustments to new official content like an inventory system, the In-game Store, the weapon finishes, and even added support for the Steam Workshop to allow custom content. Major content DLCs known as Operations are released once several months, each lasting over several seasons, bringing in new permanent content as well as seasonal content.
In the "Hello CS" presentation in China[13], it was announced that the game's engine would be ported to Source 2 in Summer 2017 along with the addition of a new UI called Panorama, and a special modified version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive would be released in China, via Perfect World.
Since December 6, 2018, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has become completely free. However, in order to play at prime matches, you need to buy the game for 15$, or reach level 21. Players who bought the game before the update of December 6, 2018, received free prime status and in honor of this they were awarded a special medal named the Loyalty Badge.
Counter-Strike 2
In March 2023, Valve announced an update to Global Offensive, titled Counter-Strike 2. Using Valve's Source 2 game engine, Counter-Strike 2 features major technical improvements over Global Offensive. The game was released on September 27, 2023, replacing the previous version on Steam and shutting down all its servers.
Achievements
Achievements, also known as Awards in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, are retained from Counter-Strike: Source.
Achievements are given for completing milestones or notable actions, such as getting 1,000 kills with a particular weapon, or getting four headshots in one round. There are five categories of achievements, progression in the completion of achievements in each category will award the player with medals that can be seen on the leaderboard during matches. The list of achievements is found in the stats menu.
Technical Info
- See also: Differences between CS:GO platforms
- The console versions of the game run at native 720p resolution at a consistent 30fps.
- PC and Xbox 360 versions are rendered in Direct3D, while the macOS and Playstation 3 version is rendered in OpenGL.
- The PlayStation 3 version supports the DualShock 3 controller, PlayStation Move or a USB keyboard/mouse, while the Xbox 360 version is limited to a controller.
- Supports ATI X1000-series GPU.
Reception
Counter Strike: Global Offensive received "generally favorable" reviews on Metacritic getting a metascore of 83/100 on PC,[14] 80/100 on PS3,[15] and 79/100 on Xbox 360.[16]
Trivia
- At one point the game was going to be called "Counter-Strike: White Rabbit", however Jess Cliffe, one of the original creators of the game, convinced Valve to change the name to its current one.[17]
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the only Counter-Strike game to be rated 18+ by PEGI.
- The in-game files include a language option for "Pirate". This language can be used by setting the
-languagelaunch option toPirate. This includes changes such as the Counter-Terrorist team being referred to as the "British Navy" and the Terrorist team being referred to as the "Pirates". - In the CS:GO icon, a IDF can be seen holding a SCAR-L, a weapon that isn't in the game.
- Unlike the other games in the Counter-Strike series, the color of the Terrorist team in CS:GO seems to be a darker yellow with a bit of orange mixed into it, instead of red.
- Despite the game having left the beta in August 21, 2012, the Steam Database Depots for CS:GO is still called "Counter-Strike Global Offensive Beta".
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive did not arrive on the PAL version of PlayStation Store on the official release date, causing fans of the region to react with anger. Sony apologized for the delay and promised to solve the problem as soon as possible but failed to provide an explanation.
- The original Steam App id in steam store was
1800, but was later changed to730.
Videos
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References
- ↑ Chowdhury, Amaar (September 28, 2023). "CS:GO fans now frantically dusting off their Xbox 360s as servers are still online". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ↑ Joystiq - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive loses cross-play
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 CS:GO Blog - 1 OCT 2012
- ↑ CS:GO Blog - 6/12 Update: Mirage
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 CS:GO Blog - The Overpass and Cobble Process
- ↑ CS:GO Blog - 7 FEB 2013
- ↑ CS:GO Blog - 21 MAR 2013
- ↑ CS:GO Blog - From Abbey to Zoo
- ↑ HLTV - CS:GO - What we know so far
- ↑ Steam Users' Forums - "Global Offensive"
- ↑ Announcement of CS:GO
- ↑ Valve delays Counter-Strike: GO beta
- ↑ Gaming On Linux - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is moving to Source 2
- ↑ Metascore for Counter Strike: Global Offensive for PC, Metacritic, Retrieved March 6, 2020
- ↑ Metascore for Counter Strike: Global Offensive for PS3, Metacritic, Retrieved March 6, 2020
- ↑ Metascore for Counter Strike: Global Offensive for Xbox 360, Metacritic, Retrieved March 6, 2020
- ↑ Jess Cliffe reply on Reddit.
External links
- Official website
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at Steam
- CS:GO on twitter.com
- CS:GO Dev on instagram.com
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at Wikipedia
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at Encyclopedia Gamia
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at PC Gaming Wiki
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