Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
News, coverage and analysis tracking Counter-Strike: Global Offensive across the outlets.- Engagement RingValve's Counter-Strike 2 is the most popular game on Steam, while Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has achieved a significant sales milestone, selling over 300,000 copies. This indicates continued strong player engagement and commercial success for the franchise on PC.
Counter-Strike 2 might be the biggest game on Steam, but Global Offensive is breaking player count records since it went…Despite Counter-Strike 2 being Steam's dominant title with over a million concurrent players, its predecessor, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, has achieved a new all-time peak of over 68,000 simultaneous players. This resurgence for the 14-year-old game positions it as more popular than titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Rainbow Six Siege on Steam, indicating that the tactical FPS landscape can indeed support multiple successful entries.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is 2026's top new release by revenue to date | Newzoo chartsTomodachi Life: Living the Dream topped Newzoo's revenue charts for new releases in 2026 and overall console revenue in April, attributed to Nintendo's install base. New titles like Pragmata and Windrose also saw strong debuts, though displacing established live-service games remains challenging.
Troy Baker and Austin Wintory talk becoming Indiana Jones and writing death metal polkas for Counter-StrikeActor Troy Baker and composer Austin Wintory discuss their careers and creative challenges in a joint interview. Baker shares his experience stepping into the role of Indiana Jones for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while Wintory details his work on a unique music pack for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that blended metal and polka.
We can thank a Jim Henson Company puppeteer for some of Valve's best animation workThe distinctive character animation found in Valve games, such as Portal 2 and Team Fortress 2, owes a debt to puppeteer Karen Prell, who previously worked for The Jim Henson Company. Prell, known for her role as Red Fraggle and puppeteering the worm in Labyrinth, brought her expertise in bringing characters to life to Valve, significantly influencing the animation of characters like Wheatley.
Top 10 Best-Selling Video Games Of All Time, Including New Heights For Mario Kart 8This list ranks the top 10 best-selling paid video games of all time, excluding free-to-play titles. Sales figures include pack-in games, with Tetris leading at over 520 million units sold, followed by Minecraft at 300 million and Grand Theft Auto V at over 225 million. The ranking also highlights significant sales for games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Wii Sports, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
New CS2 update fixes audio dropout bug, so no, your headphones weren't the culpritA new update for Counter-Strike 2 has been released by Valve to address a bug that caused audio dropouts, a critical issue for a tactical shooter. The update also includes various fixes and tweaks for the recently re-added Cache map, including adjustments to map geometry that previously allowed for unintended boosts.
CS2's redesigned Cache map is finally coming, and I can't waitValve has provided a first look at the redesigned Cache map for Counter-Strike 2, showcasing improvements to textures and lighting. The iconic map, absent from the active pool since 2019, is set to return, joining Inferno, Train, and Overpass as remade classics. This update follows recent patches that enhanced character animations and weapon firing feel.
Why FPS Games Attract the Most Style-Conscious Competitive PlayersFirst-person shooter games attract style-conscious competitive players due to the genre's blend of action and strategy, where personal flair and cosmetic choices significantly impact player identity and social standing. These visual customizations, from weapon skins to character loadouts, are amplified in competitive play and often drive engagement with digital marketplaces for in-game items. The constant evolution of trends and the desire for unique aesthetics contribute to a player's confidence and overall competitive experience.
New CS2 update brings back CSGO's silky smooth camera shakeValve has released a new patch for Counter-Strike 2 that adjusts camera motion due to recoil to more closely match Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This change aims to reduce the excessive screen shake that has been a common complaint among players, making the in-game experience less jarring. The update also includes fixes for Animgraph 2 bugs and a crash related to halftime transitions.
CS2 Update Brings Back CS:GO Camera Motion and Bug FixesValve has released a Counter-Strike 2 update that reintroduces camera recoil motion similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, addressing a key complaint from veteran players. The update also includes fixes for aim punch consistency regardless of network latency, improved air crouch transitions, and minor viewmodel animation adjustments. These changes aim to restore the familiar feel of CS:GO while retaining Counter-Strike 2's technical advancements.- Counter-Strike Animgraph 2 Beta Cuts Network Lag, Brings New BugsValve has released the Animgraph 2 Beta for Counter-Strike 2, aiming to significantly reduce network bandwidth utilization and decrease in-game lag. While this update promises improved performance, especially in critical moments, the beta also introduces new bugs, including fatal errors that can crash the client when connecting to servers with different builds. This initiative addresses long-standing player complaints about the game's netcode since the launch of CS2.
Former Half-Life 2 writer calls out Epic CEO Tim Sweeney over layoffs, says Valve boss Gabe Newell is "better" than him at making "as much money as possible," anywayFormer Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticized Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney over recent layoffs, questioning employee motivation and comparing Epic's actions unfavorably to Valve's employee retention. Faliszek highlighted that Valve, despite operating Steam, has fewer employees than Epic and suggested Gabe Newell is more adept at generating profit while still fostering a positive work environment.
Valve veteran slams Tim Sweeney and Epic Games for laying off 1000 people while making 'as much money as possible… and hey Tim, Gabe's better at that than you'Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticized Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney for recent layoffs of over 1000 employees, questioning the motivation for hard work at the company. Faliszek contrasted Epic's actions with Valve's approach to employee retention and rewards, suggesting that Epic's practices damage the industry's passion and care. Epic Games did not directly respond to Faliszek's remarks but pointed to a previous statement addressing the layoffs.- FlashSkins and the new wave of the Skin Market - Walkthrough, Tips, ReviewFlashSkins is positioning itself as a modern Counter-Strike 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin marketplace, focusing on user experience, a large inventory, and trust. The platform offers advanced filtering options, an intuitive interface, and features like Instant Sell to cater to both casual and serious traders. With a focus on transparent pricing and security, FlashSkins aims to provide a smoother and more reliable trading environment in the competitive skin market.
Counter-Strike 2 Reload Rework Casually Changes the Entire GameValve has released a significant update for Counter-Strike 2 that overhauls the reloading mechanic, discarding leftover ammo and introducing trade-offs based on weapon reserve magazines. The patch also adds map guides for the first five rounds and the ability to set up custom games. Counter-Strike 2, the relaunched version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, continues to be a popular free-to-play title on PC.
Valve say Counter-Strike 2's reloading needed "higher stakes", so you now dump all the ammo left in a clip when you reload earlyValve has updated Counter-Strike 2 to introduce higher stakes for reloading, a change that discards all remaining ammo in a magazine when a player reloads early. This new mechanic aims to add more strategic depth to the game's combat by penalizing players for unnecessary reloads. The update also notes that most guns will now have three reserve magazines.
2,000 Hours Deep: CS Veteran’s Journey Hits DifferentA Counter-Strike veteran shared their journey of over 2,000 hours played in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2, highlighting the dedication, skill mastery, and friendships formed over a decade. The player adapted to the transition to Counter-Strike 2, emphasizing the game's enduring appeal through its focus on pure skill, strategy, and teamwork rather than flashy mechanics.
Parkour Labs: Conquer Neon Skies and Defy Gravity in a Brutal Vaporwave GauntletParkour Labs, a first-person precision platformer with a vaporwave aesthetic, has been released on Xbox after two years of solo development. The game emphasizes pure skill, timing, and control across 60 levels, featuring instant respawns and physics-based movement. It aims to recapture raw gameplay mechanics, drawing inspiration from communities like surf maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Arc Raiders dev uses clip of FPS streamer Shroud summing up "game dev in a nutshell" to reinforce how Embark "failed" during development: "We really did - twice"Embark Studios' production director Ciao Braga used a clip of streamer Michael 'Shroud' Grzesiek to illustrate the significant development challenges faced by Arc Raiders, admitting the studio failed with its plans twice. The article highlights how the game's development involved internal debates about its genre and how streamer support, including from Shroud, was crucial for its eventual success.