| Counter-Strike | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo} The current Counter-Strike series logo, introduced in 2023 withCounter-Strike 2 | |
| Genre(s) | Tacticalfirst-person shooter |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Counter-Strike November 9, 2000[1][2][3] |
| Latest release | Counter-Strike 2 September 27, 2023 |
Counter-Strike (CS) is a series ofmultiplayertacticalfirst-person shooter video games, in which opposing teams attempt to complete various objectives. The series began onWindows in 1999 with the release of the first game,Counter-Strike. It was initially released as amodification ("mod") forHalf-Life that was designed byMinh "Gooseman" Le andJess "Cliffe" Cliffe before the rights to the mod'sintellectual property were acquired byValve, thedevelopers ofHalf-Life, who then turnedCounter-Strike into a retail product released in 2000.
The originalCounter-Strike was followed byCounter-Strike: Condition Zero, developed byTurtle Rock Studios and released in March 2004. A previous version ofCondition Zero that was developed byRitual Entertainment was released alongside it asCondition Zero: Deleted Scenes. Eight months later, Valve releasedCounter-Strike: Source, a remake of the originalCounter-Strike and the first in the series to run on Valve's then-newly createdSource engine.[4] The fourth game in the main series,Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, was released by Valve in 2012 for Windows,OS X,Xbox 360, andPlayStation 3.Hidden Path Entertainment, who worked onCounter-Strike: Source post-release, helped to develop the game alongside Valve.[5]Counter-Strike 2 was announced in March 2023 and publicly released on September 27, 2023, as a replacement forGlobal Offensive.
There have been several third-party spin-off titles created for Asian markets over the years. These include theCounter-Strike Online series,Counter-Strike Neo, andCounter-Strike Nexon: Studio.
Counter-Strike is an objective-based,multiplayertacticalfirst-person shooter. Two opposing teams—the Terrorists and the Counter Terrorists—compete in game modes to complete objectives, such as securing a location to plant or defuse a bomb and rescuing or guarding hostages.[6][7] At the end of each round, players are rewarded based on their individual performance with in-game currency to spend on more powerful weapons in subsequent rounds. Winning rounds results in more money than losing and completing objectives such as killing enemy players gives cash bonuses.[6] Uncooperative actions, such askilling teammates, result in a penalty.[8]
| 2000 | Counter-Strike |
|---|---|
| 2001–2003 | |
| 2004 | Counter-Strike: Condition Zero |
| Counter-Strike: Source | |
| Counter-Strike Neo | |
| 2005–2007 | |
| 2008 | Counter-Strike Online |
| 2009–2011 | |
| 2012 | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive |
| 2013 | Counter-Strike Online 2 |
| 2014 | Counter-Strike Nexon: Studio |
| 2015–2022 | |
| 2023 | Counter-Strike 2 |
Originally a modification forHalf-Life, the development team was hired by Valve in 2000, when the company acquired the rights toCounter-Strike.
The game received a port toXbox in 2003.[9] It was also ported to OS X and Linux in the form of a beta in January 2013. A full release was published in April 2013.[10][11]
Counter-Strike was followed up withCounter-Strike: Condition Zero, developed by Turtle Rock Studios and released in 2004. It used theHalf-LifeGoldSrc engine, similarly to its predecessor. Besides the multiplayer mode, it also included a single-player mode with a "full" campaign and bonus levels. The game received mixed reviews in contrast to its predecessor and was quickly followed with a further entry to the series titledCounter-Strike: Source.[12]
Counter-Strike: Source was the first game publicly released by Valve to run on the Source engine.Counter-Strike: Source was initially released as abeta to members of the Valve Cyber Café Program on August 11, 2004.[4][13] On August 18, 2004, the beta was released to owners ofCounter-Strike: Condition Zero and to those who had boughtATIRadeonvideo cards bundled with aHalf-Life 2 voucher.[14] While the original release only included a version for Microsoft Windows, the game eventually received a port to OS X on June 23, 2010, with aLinux port afterwards in 2013.[15][16]
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was the fourth release in the main, Valve-developedCounter-Strike series in 2012. Much likeCounter-Strike: Source the game runs on the Source engine. It was available for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux, as well as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, and is backwards compatible on the Xbox One console.
On March 22, 2023, Valve announcedCounter-Strike 2, which utilizes theSource 2game engine. It was originally announced as a free upgrade toGlobal Offensive with a summer 2023 release date.[17][18][19] On September 1, 2023, it was released as a limited beta,[20][21] and the game replacedGlobal Offensive on September 27.
Counter-Strike Neo (stylized NEO) is a Japanesearcade adaptation ofCounter-Strike published by Namco forLinux-based machines.[22] The game is set in a futuristic version ofCounter-Strike, with characters featuring anime-like designs. A selection of single-player missions, mini-games, and seasonal events were added to prolong the players' interest on the game.[23]
Counter-Strike Online is a free-to-play spin-off available in much of eastern Asia. It was developed byNexon, with oversight fromValve. It uses amicropayment model that is managed by a custom version of theSteamback-end.[24] Announced in 2012 and aimed at the Asian gaming market, a sequel titledCounter-Strike Online 2 was developed byNexon on the Source game engine and released in 2013.[25]
In August 2014, Nexon announcedCounter-Strike Nexon: Zombies, a free-to-play, zombie-themed spin-off,[26] developed on theGoldSrc game engine.[27] On September 23, 2014, an open beta was released on Steam.[28] The game launched on October 7, 2014, featuring 50 maps and 20 game modes.[29] The game features bothplayer versus player modes such asteam deathmatch, hostage rescue, and bomb defusal, alongsideplayer versus environment modes such as cooperative campaign missions and base defending.[30] Reception from critics was generally negative, with criticism aimed at the game's poor user interface, microtransactions,[30] and dated graphics.[27] On October 30, 2019,Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies was renamed toCounter-Strike Nexon: Studio.[31]
Counter-Strike has over 20 years of competitive play beginning with the originalCounter-Strike. The first major tournament was hosted in 2001 at theCyberathlete Professional League which, along withWorld Cyber Games andElectronic Sports World Cup, were among the largest tournaments for theCounter-Strike series up to 2007. Since 2013, the Valve-sponsoredCounter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships have become the most prestigious tournaments in the franchise's history, featuring prize pools of around $1,000,000.[32][33]
Counter-Strike is considered one of the most influential first person shooters in history. The series has a large competitive community and has become synonymous with first person shooters.[32] As of August 2011[update], theCounter-Strike franchise has sold over 25 million units.[34] Because of its popularity,Counter-Strike has attracted considerable academic attention. Researchers have used data fromCounter-Strike, among others, to examine the mood of players,[35] performance of obese players,[36] and performance changes since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.[37]
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