Counter-Strike turns 21 years old today

CS has turned into one of the most iconic video games in history.
Image via Valve

Counter-Strike holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of gamers. And today, it’s celebrating its 21st birthday. What started out as a Half-Life mod has turned into one of the most popular first-person shooters in the world with a thriving professional scene that attracts millions of viewers. 

Recommended Videos

Counter-Strike originated as a Half-Life mod developed by Minh “Gooseman” Le and Jess Cliffe in 1999 that gained enough popularity for Valve to take notice. Valve acquired the developers working on the game in 2000 and released an official game that same year.

The game spawned a new title, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, in 2004, which was met with negative reviews. Counter-Strike: Source was the next game in the series and was the first title released on the Source engine. Counter-Strike: Source took the game to a new level of popularity and is where many current professional players started playing. 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the latest game in the series and draws millions of players per month. CS:GO has a healthy professional scene that features teams from major organizations, such as Fnatic, G2 Esports, and Evil Geniuses. 

CS:GO has recently lost some of its player base to VALORANT, a new first-person shooter from Riot Games with similar gun mechanics. It’s unclear if the new title will continue to attract Counter-Strike players, but future updates will likely keep a dedicated player base entertained. 

Some fans are starting to wonder when a new Counter-Strike title will be released since CS:GO has been out for almost eight years. Valve likely has plans for future installments or a major update to the existing game, but it’s unlikely the iconic series will disappear anytime soon.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Vitality demolish C9 to put themselves two matches from defending Counter-Strike Major title
Apex screaming to the fans in the Royal Arena at the Copenhagen CS2 Major.
Read Article XQc finally redeems himself in Counter-Strike with stunning Deagle ace
xQc smiling with his thumb up
Read Article M0NESY’s settings, crosshair, and viewmodel for CS2
M0nesy, Counter-Strike player for G2 Esports, celebrates after a round victory at ESL Pro League with his teammates.
Related Content
Read Article Vitality demolish C9 to put themselves two matches from defending Counter-Strike Major title
Apex screaming to the fans in the Royal Arena at the Copenhagen CS2 Major.
Read Article XQc finally redeems himself in Counter-Strike with stunning Deagle ace
xQc smiling with his thumb up
Read Article M0NESY’s settings, crosshair, and viewmodel for CS2
M0nesy, Counter-Strike player for G2 Esports, celebrates after a round victory at ESL Pro League with his teammates.
Author
Jalen Lopez
Freelance Writer with over three years of experience at Dot Esports. Mainly covers VALORANT, Call of Duty and other FPS titles.