Fans of competitive gaming can follow many different games, but there are some very good reasons why Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been one of the favorites for so much time. Known as CS: GO, how has this game evolved in line with the big changes we’ve seen in esports overall?
The History of CS: GO
By going back to 2000, we can see how this gaming franchise began with the release of the original Counter-Strike game for Windows users. Counter-Strike: Condition Zero was then brought out in 2004, which was closely followed by Counter-Strike: Source using the new Source engine by valve.
CS: GO was the fourth game in the main series, although there have also been some spin-offs along the way. The release of CS: GO in 2012 for Windows and several consoles ensured that it remained one of the top games of all time. In 2023, the newest game – called Counter-Strike 2 or CS2 – was added to the series.
With a team of Terrorists facing up to a group of Counter-Terrorists and carrying out different tasks over a variety of maps, it’s been popular from the very start. It’s a simple game to understand but incredibly difficult to become an expert in, which means that people love going back to it over and over again.
How Counter-Strike Has Become Part of the Competitive Gaming World
The original Counter-Strike game was immediately added to the list of the top competitive gaming options. At the turn of the century, esports was starting to grow, and this game was released at the perfect time to make a big impact. It was quickly added to the tournament scene and was played in events such as the 2001 Cyberathlete Professional League and World Cyber Games in the same year. You can find more information about competitive Counter-Strike click here: https://www.jackshouse.com/
When CS: GO was launched in 2012, it was a massively exciting time for the esports industry. Improving technology and the emergence of streaming platforms such as Twitch meant that competitive gaming was threatening to go mainstream, and this game quickly became one of the most popular titles.
Despite the release of many games since then. CS: GO has remained at the top of the esports industry, along with the likes of League of League and Dota 2. A look at the viewership charts for the leading esports games reveals that CS: GO is behind League of Legends and Mobile Legends Bang Bang but ahead of Valorant and Dota 2.
Prize pools have been rising steadily and have reached as high as $2 million in recent times. This has encouraged the top pro gaming teams to play CS: GO. The current leader in terms of number of titles won is Astralis, with four Major titles to their name. However, it was Team Vitality that won the BLAST Paris Major held in 2023.
Why Is CS: GO SO Popular in eSports Competitions?
As we’ve seen, this series of tactical, first-personal shooters has been well-received in the esports universe right from the start. The release of CS: GO then helped it to reach an ever-higher level of popularity, so what are the key aspects that have kept it at the top of the competitive gaming scene?
The fact that a strong sense of teamwork is needed makes this a great choice for esports teams. Everyone who takes part has a vital role to play, and the strongest overall team is likely to win, rather than being able to rely on a single player to carry them through the toughest games on their own.
Fast gameplay that requires a lot of skill is another element that makes CS: GO stand out. With a huge fanbase of loyal players, it’s proved to be a long-term success in esports, with millions of people happy playing it or watching others play it.
Above all, it’s a game that’s just as much fun when watching other people play as it is when you take part. This means that a lot of us enjoy playing it but also watching the pro teams taking part in the biggest tournaments.
The Future
2023 is a year of change in esports, as this has been the year that CS: GO has finally given way to its successor. The biggest esports tournaments have already confirmed that they’ll be switching to Counter-Strike 2, known as CS 2, right away.
While there are varying opinions on whether CS2 is actually better than CS: GO or not, this list of the key differences between the games suggests that CS2 has been enhanced in areas such as the maps, the servers, and the visual effects.
It seems certain that the latest addition to the Counter-Strike series of games continues to be extremely popular under the new title and keeps on attracting a lot of attention in the esports world.
