Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, more commonly referred to as CS: GO, has been one of the most popular online first-person shooters of the past decade. Developed and published by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment on August 21, 2012, with over ten years since its first release one would think that the game’s player base would’ve shrank down by now.
However, just this weekend CS: GO has proven the enduring strength of its lasting impact and community by breaking its all-time concurrent players record. According to the SteamCharts website, on February 11 CS: GO had 1,320,219 players online at the same time, breaking the previous number of 1,311,807 set three years prior. CS: GO remains one of four Steam games to have one million concurrent players, along with PUBG: Battleground, DOTA 2, and Lost Ark.
The Counter-Strike series began in 1999 as a mod for Valve’s Half-Life, becoming popular enough that Valve would buy the rights and hire its co-creators to develop a full-fledged release. CS: GO still remains Steam’s largest title today, surpassing the franchise it originally branched off from.
This spike in players could be attributed to Valve recently releasing its first new case for the game since July 2022, titled “Revolution,” which features two of the game’s most picked weapons as part of its top-tier rewards. In addition to the Revolution case, a new Espionage Sticker Capsule with 21 new stickers and a music kit with songs from rapper Denzel Curry’s Melt My Eyez See the Future is also available.
Other possible explanations include the ongoing CS: GO esports tournament IEM Katowice in Poland and the fact that CS: GO is the only non-restricted trading game on the market, meaning players have freer reign to use bot farms. Whatever the reason may be, however, it’s clear that CS: GO has achieved a timeless quality almost unmatched by its peers, and will likely sustain its massive player base for years to come.