Counter-Strike Video Game Series
A series of online FPP shooters, derived from a fan-made modification for the game Half-Life under the same title. Counter-Strike, the rights to which are in the hands of Valve, is considered one of the most important brands in the world of e-sports.
History of the Counter-Strike series
"Fathers" of the series Counter-Strike are Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe. Already at the stage of open beta-testing of the mod, from which the series originated, Valve began to support the authors in their efforts; in turn, in 2000, the company decided to acquire the rights to the brand Counter-Strike. As a result, the modification was completed later that year, while three years later it was released as a separate game.
In 2004, an expanded version of Counter-Strike, namely Condition Zero, enhanced with a single-player mode. In 2005, the release of Counter-Strike: Source - refresh based on the title's Source engine. The year 2012 brought the release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, yet another refresh of the original Counter-Strike, which was released not only on PC, but also on consoles (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360). Finally in 2023, the full-fledged second installment of the series saw the light of day, titled Counter-Strike 2.
In the meantime, the series lived to see spin-offs, such as the 2008-released Counter-Strike: Online and released five years later Counter-Strike: Online 2 or Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies from 2014.
Gameplay in games in the Counter-Strike series
Cycle Counter-Strike was created with multiplayer gameplay in mind, so the possibilities for single-player gameplay in it have been significantly limited (mostly to competition with bots controlled by computer artificial intelligence). The plot is also only loosely sketched, showing the struggle between terrorists and a counter-terrorist unit.
During the course of the game, players are divided into two teams - one is made up of terrorists and the other of anti-terrorists.. Depending on the chosen side of the conflict and variant of the game, the goal can be, for example, escape, rescue of hostages, placement or deactivation of an explosive charge. Clashes are fought in rounds, and the team that first manages to achieve the set tasks or eliminates all members of the enemy team wins.
The success of the Counter-Strike series
Simple rules and at the same time the gigantic popularity of the series Counter-Strike have translated into interest from e-sports. Games from the described series are a permanent element of many leagues and tournaments, including, for example, Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC), World Cyber Games (WCG) or Intel Extreme Masters (IEM).
Counter-Strike Series Evolution
2023
Counter-Strike 2
2014
Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies
2012
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
2008
Counter-Strike: Online
2005
Counter-Strike: Source
2004
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Counter-Strike 2
Action
September 27, 2023
Counter-Strike 2 is the full-fledged second installment in the iconic series of shooters developed by Valve. The game is a massive update to CS:GO, now running on the Source 2 engine, thoroughly revamping the graphics and featuring many enhancements.
Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies
Action
October 7, 2014
A free online game created under the license of the cult Valve shooter by Nexon corporation specializing in MMO games. It expands on the ideas started in the second installment of CounterStrike Online for the Asian market by introducing zombies to the game, which are very popular among players. They are a fast and extremely dangerous type of opponent, which translates into the dynamic action typical of subsequent installments in the series.
Counter-Strike: Online 2
Action
November 18, 2013
Continuation of the 2008 network shooter based on the popular game Counter-Strike. The title is intended mainly for the Asian market and a significant role in the game is played by the micropayment system.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Action
August 21, 2012
The next installment in a cult online fist person shooter series, which originated in the early 2000's as a Half-Life modification. This game was created by Valve Corporation, who purchased the rights to the massively popular mod and later developed its commercial editions. The core gameplay is built upon competition between two teams of players: terrorists and counter-terrorists. Eliminating opponents is rewarded with cash, which can be spent on new gear and weapons. There are four main game modes: Arm Race, Demolition, and two tournament varieties. The authors did not try to revolutionize the classic gameplay mechanics, mostly focusing on visual improvements to match modern standards. Most of the in-game maps are based on the original ones, and most of the changes relate do weaponry.
Counter-Strike: Online
Action
April 4, 2008
The Asian incarnation of the popular Counter-Strike network shooting. The game is the responsibility of the Korean studio Nexon Corporation, which allowed itself to add its own ideas to the game. Counter-Strike: Online has been enriched with a zombie fighting mode, and Challenge Mode, where players have to beat the level as quickly as possible.
Counter-Strike: Source
Action
October 21, 2005
Enhanced version of one of the most popular online first-person shooters, which debuted in the year 2000. The new edition is one hundred percent faithful to the original concept, focusing entirely on skirmishes of two teams: terrorists and counter-terrorists. Just like it was in the original game, the choice of either of the sides is essential for both the objectives that you must reach as well as the equipment you can use for the job. However, some major changes were introduced to the technical side of the game, thanks to moving it to an advanced game engine called Source, which was created by Valve for the second installment in the Half-Life series. Due to that fact, all of the original maps gained in visual quality and level of detail, while the gameplay was enhanced by much improved physics and a variety of advanced effects that were lacking from the first release of the game. Counter-Strike: Source is distributed along with a similarly overhauled version of the Day of Defeat mod as well as the expanded multiplayer for Half-Life 2.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Action
March 23, 2004
An expanded version of the popular online shooter Counter-Strike, distributed as an official game add-on. Condition Zero's main goal was to add a single-player mode to the original game in order to reach players who don't like or have the opportunity to participate in multiplayer battles. In the single player version, we take part in the story campaign consisting of 19 missions, impersonating members of elite special forces, such as Navy SEALS, GIGN, Specnaz or SAS.
Counter-Strike Series News
Valve is making ridiculous money on CS2 cases. Thanks to them and Steam, the company doesn't have to care about fast pace of game development
Counter-Strike 2 players continue to eagerly open cases, generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue for Valve in March alone.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
April 9, 2025
Gamers love older games and favor PCs over consoles. More than 900 million people already play on rigs
Research by the Newzoo agency shows that PC gamers spend most of their time playing old games.
video games
Adrian Werner
March 20, 2025
Gamers love older games and favor PCs over consoles. More than 900 million people already play on rigs
Research by the Newzoo agency shows that PC gamers spend most of their time playing old games.
video games
Adrian Werner
March 20, 2025
CS 1.6 scores a comeback as CS: Legacy, it might be a return to Counter's best days
A group of modders is working on CS: Legacy, a remake of Counter-Strike 1.6 built on the latest version of the Source engine.
video games
Adrian Werner
March 18, 2025
Steam continues to break record after record. Valve's platform and its biggest hit have never attracted so many players
Valve's platform has broken another record for user activity, and its biggest hit - Counter-Strike 2 - is not far behind. Much of this is due to the Spring Sale on Steam.
video games
Michal Harat
March 17, 2025
Valve blocked CS mod launch on release day. Devs investigate
The release of Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive failed to happen due to Valve, forcing the mod's developers to investigate.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
March 12, 2025
Valve blocked CS mod launch on release day. Devs investigate
The release of Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive failed to happen due to Valve, forcing the mod's developers to investigate.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
March 12, 2025
CS 2 record on Steam. Valve's new game spotted by dataminers?
CS 2 players are complaining, but they are still crowding Valve's shooter, which may be testing some new, unknown title.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
February 17, 2025
Valve fixed hilarious ragdoll in CS2 but fans want it back
If you were enjoying the out of propoportions ragdoll in CS2, you might be sad that it's already gone. Many players want it back.
video games
Aleksander Kartasinski
January 10, 2025
21 Years Ago Valve's Future Was Saved by Counter-Strike 2 Deal. Gabe Newell Made Knife Out of Joy
The contract to develop a game called Counter-Strike 2 was signed back in 2003. To celebrate this success, Gabe Newell - the founder of Valve - handmade a knife with the name of the game.
video games
Maciej Gaffke
November 22, 2024