Why Is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive One of the Most Played FPS Games Ever?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, popularly called CSGO, was developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve in 2012. It is a multiplayer first-person shooter game and the fourth game of the Counter-Strike franchise. The game was released for PlayStation 3, OS X, Xbox 360, and Windows. It was later launched for Linux in 2014. The game was upgraded to Counter-Strike 2 or CS2 in 2023.

CSGO is more than a decade old but remains one of the most popular first-person shooter games. A peak number of 2.74 million concurrent viewers recorded in 2021 makes it the 5th most popular esports game of all time. When CS2 was launched after an update, it had 1.5 million players on Steam.

The Game

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has two opposing teams facing each other in different objective-based modes – Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. In the most common mode, the Terrorists will plant bombs, while the Counter-Terrorists will try to stop them, secure the location, and rescue hostages if the Terrorists have captured them. The players get rewards after each round based on team and individual performance. They get in-game currency, which can be spent to get utility or weapons in the subsequent rounds. The game also has map-based objectives like killing enemies, which gives more cash bonuses.

Money Making From CSGO

Players can play for fun and excitement. They can also play the game to make money as CSGO has many official online tournaments that are worth a lot of money, which makes it a truly special game. In 2022, for example, the cumulative annual tournament prize pool stood at 16.4 million US$. Thus, gamers can have a gig payday when they win.

There is a second way to make money with CSGO. You will find many CSGO betting sites through which you can place a bet and have a chance to make money. There are mainly three ways to bet. You can bet on the map winner, the winner of a series, or the winner of the entire event. Every option has different odds. You need to keep different things in mind before you place a bet. Each betting site offers different odds and ways to make money from the game. So, you have to do some studying before placing your money.

CSGO Game Modes

The 9 game modes all have distinct characteristics that are specific to these modes. These game modes in CSGO are –

1. Competitive
2. Casual
3. Deathmatch
4. Arms Race
5. Demolition
6. Wingman
7. Flying Scotsman
8. Retakes
9. Danger Zone

Danger Zone

Introduced in 2018, this has become a favorite zone with many players, though it is smaller in scale compared to PUBG and Fortnite. The solo matches only have 16 players, while team modes can have a maximum of 18. The map size is also smaller. However, it is still an exciting mode.

The players can select a spawn point on the map after a brief warm-up. Each single player has a drop point. The goal is to eliminate the teams or all the other enemy players. The players have to scavenge for weapons, avoid random bombings, and keep a tab on the closing boundaries in the play area. There are several unique mechanics that make this a super game. For instance, many items and weapons can be purchased as the game progresses. Drones deliver them to your location. However, there is always a chance that your hiding place may get revealed when you receive these drone deliveries. The map also highlights areas where either the enemy or you are located.

The Maps

The latest version of the game has 25 official maps, which provides plenty of variety and options for the players. Which maps you can play depends on the game mode. For example, in the Casual mode, you will have four playlists of maps –

1. Delta (Mirage, Inferno, Cache, and Cobble)
2. Sigma (Austria, Shipped, Train, Overpass, Nuke, and Canals)
3. Hostage Group (Agency, Insertion, Office, Italy, and Assault)
4. Dust II (Dust II)

All the maps have different paths, bomb sites that are clearly marked, and features that are recognizable. Dust II, especially, is extremely popular. You will find some form of this map in every Counter-Strike title. It is best to get familiarized with as many maps and their features as possible as you don’t want to frantically find a hiding spot or a bomb site when your team is under attack. However, it is difficult to know all 25 deeply.

Weapons, Equipment, Combat

Players have a certain amount of money at the beginning of a round, which is used to buy equipment and weapons for the round. There is just enough money to purchase a pistol, plus one other item. You will earn money when you eliminate the enemies and when your team wins the round. The losing side gets some money, too, but the equipment and grenades cost more later on, so the winners will have a tactical advantage. However, there is a chance for everyone to make more money to purchase items and weapons.

Both teams can buy the same weapons, which are organized by type. You can buy pistols, shotguns, rifles, machine guns, and submachine guns. A more powerful gun will naturally have a higher cost. However, the costliest weapon may not always be the most effective. There are so many other factors like the map, the position of the players, and the game condition.

CSGO has received tons of positive reviews from the critics. It has been praised for its gameplay, features, and competitiveness. The fourth game in the Counter-Strike series, CSGO has, developed a cult following. There are still many tournaments where you can compete with the other players. Despite being almost 12 years old, it remains popular among millions of avid gamers, especially those into First-Person Shooter games.