The game pits two teams—theCounter-Terrorists andTerrorists—against each other in objective-based game modes. The most common objectives are bomb defusal and hostage rescue, each played on designated maps. Players begin with a knife and pistol, and they can purchase more advanced weapons and equipment with money earned through eliminating enemies or accomplishing goals. Once eliminated, players do not respawn until the end of the round.
Minh Le andJess Cliffe planned a game based on counter-terrorism in 1998 with development beginning the following year when the first fewbeta versions were released. TheHalf-Life modification gained significant popularity and interest, which attracted Valve. Valve later acquired the game'sintellectual property and announced a partnership with Le and Cliffe. After finishing development,Counter-Strike was released by Valve forMicrosoft Windows in November 2000. Severalremakes andports were released onXbox, as well asOS X andLinux.
Since its release,Counter-Strike received positive reviews from critics who praised the gameplay and its emphasis on teamwork and strategy. It has been called one of the most influential first-person shooters and noted for its realistic and tactical approach to counter-terrorism. The game became a major hit, selling millions of copies. Because of this success, multiple sequels were released. The first of these wasCounter-Strike: Condition Zero, asingle-player campaign released in 2004, which was received with mixed reviews.Counter-Strike: Source came out later that year, which ran on Valve'sSource engine, offering improved visuals and physics. In 2012,Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was launched, giving the franchise new game modes and better matchmaking.Counter-Strike 2, developed in theSource 2 engine, was released in 2023 as an update toGlobal Offensive.
The player standing in the terrorist starting zone (spawn point) ofde_dust using a CV-47 (AK-47)
Counter-Strike is a team-basedmultiplayerfirst-person shooter video game in which players play as Terrorists (T) or Counter-Terrorists (CT).[1][2][3] Each game begins with both teams spawning simultaneously as one of eight possible default character models (four each for Counter-Terrorist and Terrorist).[4] Each player begins with $800, two magazines of ammo, a knife, and a handgun: aHeckler & Koch USP for the Counter-Terrorists or aGlock 18c for the Terrorists. Players are usually allowed a few seconds before the round starts to purchase equipment but not move. They may purchase equipment whenever they are in a buy zone for their team.[5] When players are killed, they become spectators for the rest of the round. They may typically watch the rest of the round from a variety of chosen observer modes.[6] At the end of each round, players receive money for the next round: $3,500 for winning a round, $1,500 for losing one, and $300 for killing an enemy, up to a maximum total of $16,000. Players can be fined, or lose money, by killing a teammate or a hostage.[7]
Depending onthe map, there are 3 possible objectives to win (in addition to eliminating all enemy team members):[8][9]
Bomb defusal: The Terrorist team has a bomb when the round starts. The goal of the Terrorists is to plant the bomb at a bomb site—usually called Bombsite A or Bombsite B on the map—and make sure it explodes. The Counter-Terrorist team wins if they are able to defuse the bomb within a set time limit or if the time runs out before the bomb is planted, whereas the Terrorist team wins if the bomb successfully detonates. The survival of each team has no bearing on the round results; in other words, the Terrorist team can win with no surviving members if the bomb detonates, while the Counter-Terrorist team can win after a successful defusal even if the team is eliminated in the closing seconds between rounds. If either team is eliminated before the bomb is planted, the other team wins. Bomb defusal maps start with the prefix "de_" (e.gde_dust2).[10]
Hostage rescue: Four hostages are often located close to the Terrorist base on the map. The goal of the Counter-Terrorist team is to lead the captives to a location on the map where they are rescued.[9] A team wins if every member of that team has been eliminated. The Counter-Terrorists win and get $2400 for each captive that survives, provided that the number of rescued hostages is at least half of the original hostage count. The Terrorists win if the round ends due to timing out. Maps with this objective start with the prefix "cs_" (e.g cs_office).[10]
Assassination: In this game mode, one Counter-Terrorist member becomes a VIP, armed with a Counter-Terrorist standard-issue USP handgun. The VIP is not permitted to retrieve dropped firearms except their own handgun. Either all the Terrorists die or the VIP must enter an extraction zone within a time limit for the Counter-Terrorists to win. The Terrorists win if the VIP dies or the time limit runs out. Maps with this objective start with the prefix "as_".[10] The VIP gets 200 armor and has 150% movement speed; they also have a unique skin for identification purposes.
Formerly, there was a fourth objective called Escape. In this scenario, the terrorist team had to "escape" to a designated escape point while the Counter-Terrorist team tried to kill them. When half of the team has managed to escape, the Terrorists win the round. Following each of the eight rounds of play, the two sides will trade roles. If one team eliminates the other, either team can win the scenario.[11]
Aheads-up display (HUD) shows information to assist players during gameplay. The action indicator in the top right displays the names of players who are killed and the weapon used. The radar, ormini-map, shows the positions of teammates and other relevant map details. The HUD displays the player's health, armor, ammunition, and money as well as the round timer. On the left side, icons indicate important locations such as hostage rescue areas, VIP escape points, buy zones, and bomb sites, and in bomb defusal maps, it shows whether the player is carrying the C4 bomb or a defuse kit.[12]
There are three categories of weapons:melee (knife),secondary (handguns), and primary (rifles, shotguns, machine guns, and submachine guns). Players are only allowed to carry one weapon of each category at a time. There is a separate category for equipment like defusing kits and hand grenades which do not have the same carry limits.[13]
Video game programmerMinh "Gooseman" Le was previously involved in developingvideo game mods, such asNavy SEALs forQuake andAction Quake 2.[14] However, he wanted to create his own mod to have more control over development.[15] He chose to use thegame engineGoldSrc, because he had already worked with theQuake andQuake 2 engines, and he felt it was a logical choice.[16][17] The realistic setting ofHalf-Life, which was developed using GoldSrc, madeHalf-Life well-suited for his concept of a mod involving terrorists and counter-terrorists, a theme inspired byRainbow Six.[18] Development began in January 1999, but as theHalf-Lifesoftware development kit (SDK) was not yet released, Le initially created new weapon and player models.[19] In February 1999, the first screenshots ofCounter-Strike were released, accompanied by an interview with Le about the mod.[20] Le andJess Cliffe, who had both worked onAction Quake 2, connected throughInternet Relay Chat, during which Le shared his idea for the mod. Cliffe, excited by the concept, offered to create a website for it and became involved in the project.[19][21]
Several movies served as sources of inspiration for prospective weapon candidates. For instance, theKrieg 552 andM249 were included inCounter-Strike due to inspiration from the 1998 filmRonin. Additionally, the filmsAir Force One andLéon: The Professional served as further influences for weapon selection.[22][17] Gun magazines and the Internet were key sources for the team to gather information about the actual firearms used in the game.[23] A few weapon models inCounter-Strike deviate from their real-world counterparts because Le had to make assumptions about how certain weapons would behave in animations due to limited information.[16] The weapons had to not only look and sound good but also feel satisfying to use. Realism, as well as the type of weapons the groups would likely use in real-life scenarios, were prioritized when selecting the weapons for the game.[24]
On March 15, 1999, the mod received its name following anICQ chat between Le and Cliffe.[20][21] Le suggested names based on his favorite TV shows and movies, with options likeCounterrorism,Counter-Strike,Strike Force,Frag Heads,Counter-Terror,Terrorist Wars,Terror-Force, andCounter Force, and eventually settled onCounter-Strike.[21][20] The officialCounter-Strike web page was launched on March 24, 1999.[25] It was hosted byGameSpy's Joost Schurr onPlanet Half-Life.[17] When theHalf-Life SDK was released on April 7, 1999, mod development officially began.[25][26] Minh Le's reputation fromAction Quake 2 led to the mod receiving significant attention before release. The website attracted 10,000 visitors within two and a half weeks.[19]
Le focused on the player models, spending 40 hours for each one. Cliffe contributed to the game's design, sound, art and public relations, while closely following the development ofHalf-Life and readingGabe Newell interviews.[27] In May 1999, the mod's most pressing issue was a shortage of people to make maps to play on.[19] Despite several requests posted on the official website, the response was minimal. Cliffe began directly contactingHalf-Life mappers[16] and reached out to people who had previously submitted maps to Radium, aHalf-Life mapping site.[28] A contest was held to select maps for the initial beta, though some maps selected were later discarded.[19][29]
Before the first beta's official release, a pre-beta build was leaked online, which potentially accelerated the release of the mod.[19] The first beta, released on July 15, 1999,[30] featured a hostage rescue scenario, 9 weapons, 4 maps, and one player model per side. Jess Cliffe reported that the release was well received by the community.[25] Beta 2 and Beta 3 followed, adding new weapons, maps, and factions. Beta 3 introduced the removal of kill counts from the scoreboard, which was controversial and later reversed.[19] Beta 4 introduced the bomb defusal scenario.[25][31][32] The interest in the game drew numerous players to Cliffe's website, which helped both him and Le make revenue from advertisements hosted on the site.[33] Another website related toCounter-Strike, a fansite named CS-Nation, was launched by John "rizzuh" Jensen as a source for information about the game, news updates, and skins.[34]
In late 1999, Minh Le began working atBarking Dog Studios while finishing his studies. WhenValve Software learned of this, they asked Barking Dog to assist in developing Beta 5, offering to finance the project and acquire the game'sintellectual property.[33][35] Barking Dog mainly handled development, as Le was occupied with his university studies.[14][35] Valve contributed by cleaning up code, fixing bugs, and enhancing the interface.[36][37] New hostage models were introduced, and the development of the game was further supported with the release of Beta 5.2.[35] With Beta 6.0, new scenarios, such as assassination and escape, were added. While assassination found moderate success, the escape scenario was later removed.[38]
On April 12, 2000,Valve Software announced a partnership with theCounter-Strike Team, confirming thatCounter-Strike 1.0 would be included in an upcomingHalf-Life patch.[39] Though not explicitly stated, it is widely believed that this followed Valve's acquisition ofCounter-Strike. Statements suggest the rights were sold in early 2000, involving a financial transaction.[40] Despite the partnership, two more beta versions were released. Beta 6.5 (June 8, 2000) introduced an updated netcode,[41] while Beta 7.0 (August 26, 2000) added drive-able vehicles.[42] Following the acquisition of the game by Valve, while Cliffe continued working for them, Le did additional work towards aCounter-Strike 2.0 based on Valve's upcomingSource engine, but left to start his own studio after Valve opted to shelve the sequel.[33]
Valve planned to releaseCounter-Strike both as aHalf-Life mod and a standalone retail product on August 31, 2000.[43] The decision aimed to increase accessibility and test market demand for a multiplayer game independent ofHalf-Life. Legal issues arose before the retail release, particularly regarding weapon names, which were changed to fictional alternatives.[44] Valve also had to secure rights for maps and textures, leading to modifications and removals of certain assets.[45] Minh Le, one of the original developers, compensated mappers whose work Valve did not purchase.[45]
The retail version included new content, such as three additional weapons designed by Minh Le and updated player models provided by Valve.[46] Maverick Developments created a training map for the retail edition.[47] On November 9, 2000, Valve announced that the retail version hadgone gold,[48][49] and the mod version was released shortly after.[50] It was launched under the nameHalf-Life: Counter-Strike because according to Jess Cliffe, the game did not have a strong identity.[51] After launch, Valve continued releasing updates. Version 1.1 implemented a new spectator mode,[52] version 1.3 introduced voice chat,[53] and version 1.4 added anti-cheat measures.[54]Counter-Strike 1.5, released on June 12, 2002, was the last update before transitioning to Steam.[55][56]
In October 2002, it was stated thatCounter-Strike 1.6 would initially be distributed viaSteam, with a beta test preceding its official release.[57] Public beta testing was originally set to begin in mid-November,[58] but the launch was first postponed to mid-December[59][60] before finally starting on January 16, 2003.[61][62] On the same day, due to overwhelming demand, further beta admissions were quickly suspended as Steam's servers ran out of bandwidth.[63] It was available to the public once again in July 2003.[64] Along with the beta release, Valve andPlantronics announced a blue-and-gold-coloredCounter-Strike headset based on Plantronics' DSP-500 headset. The headset had an adjustable microphone boom, a built-in volume control, and was usable with a USB port rather than asound card.[65]
During the beta phase, the game underwent multiple updates, introducing new weapons and a completely redesigned interface based on Valve's VGUI2 technology.[66] Additionally, the official bot, developed byTurtle Rock Studios forCounter-Strike: Condition Zero, was publicly tested withinCounter-Strike 1.6 from June 5.[66] After more than six months of public testing, the beta phase concluded on September 9, 2003.[66] The final release ofCounter-Strike 1.6 was initially scheduled for the following day, but last-minute changes to the Steam network caused a brief delay. The final version, along with the Steam client, was officially launched on September 12, 2003.[67]
Following release, advertisements were brought toCounter-Strike.[68] They were removed after the game was converted to the SteamPipe content delivery system.[69] Plans forCounter-Strike 1.7—which aimed to merge the player bases ofCounter-Strike andCondition Zero—were never realized.[70] In January 2013, Valve portedCounter-Strike ontoOS X andLinux.[71] It is the third Valve game to be ported to Linux, afterCounter-Strike: Source andTeam Fortress 2.[72]
The game faced scrutiny inGermany after being linked to theErfurt school massacre in 2002 after it was found on the computer of the perpetrator, Robert Steinhäuser. Politicians, includingGünther Beckstein, and media outlets, particularlyBild, then regularly referred to the game asKillerspiel'killer game'. Calls for banning violent video games intensified, with politicians like Beckstein advocating for penalties against players. Media outlets like Frontal 21 onZDF often portrayed players negatively.[73][74] In 2002, Germany'sBPjM considered indexingCounter-Strike but ultimately rejected it, concluding that the game's objectives could be achieved without violence and that its communication aspects were beneficial. ChancellorGerhard Schröder criticized the decision as irresponsible.[73][75]
A Brazilian federal judge, Carlos Alberto Simões de Tomaz, ordered a ban on the sale ofCounter-Strike andEverQuest in October 2007 arguing that the games "bring imminent stimulus to the subversion of the social order, attempting against the democratic state and the law and against public security".[76][77][78] The order began to be enforced on January 17, 2008, butregional federal court order lifting the prohibition on the sale ofCounter-Strike was published on June 18, 2009.[79]
Counter-Strike became one of the most popular video games. During the beta stages, it garnered over 245,000 players.[100] After its release in November 2000, the game reached a player count of over 700,000, who played on over 7,000 servers, surpassing bothTeam Fortress Classic andUnreal Tournament.[101] In March 2002,Counter-Strike was the most popular multiplayer game across 150game centers in North America.[102]Counter-Strike stayed at the top in June,[103][104] July, and August.[105]
Upon its retail release,Counter-Strike received highly favorable reviews.[84][86][94]The New York Times reported that E-Sports EntertainmentESEA League started the first professional fantasy e-sports league in 2004 with the gameCounter-Strike.[106][107] Some credit the move into professional competitive team play with prizes as a major factor inCounter-Strike's longevity and success.[108]
The game was praised by critics for its emphasis on teamwork and communication among players. Scott Osborne, writing forGameSpot, felt that the audio messages were a decent feature, which covered requests for backup, status reports and warnings. One problem, according to him, was that both teams used the same voice.[90] Clayton Wolfe ofIGN expressed the importance of teamwork and stating, "It's the team-based tactics that make [Counter-Strike] so fun."[94]Computer Games Magazine's Bill Hiles also commented about the social aspects of the game, saying that a player should work in teams rather than alone.[84] Joe Dodson forGameRevolution wrote that "Nothing can beat a coordinated, experienced team in [Counter-Strike], except an even more coordinated and experienced team." He also found the team talk favorable.[86]
Most reviewers agreed that theGoldSrc engine felt dated,[90][94] but still praised the graphics. Hiles commented that the visuals were acceptable and "do an admirable job portraying outdoor locations",[84] while Dodson noted the graphics were identical toHalf-Life.[86] According to Osborne, the game's maps had "imaginative texturing and dramatic lighting effects", but pointed out that they were too dark sometimes.[90] Wolfe felt that the environmental textures were realistic enough.[94]
Critics appreciated the realistic weapon sound effects, with Osborne writing that they made guns "viscerally fun to shoot".[90] Wolfe agreed, but wished "the same amount of attention to detail was given to the rest of the sound in the game". He felt that the crashing thunder was flat and pointed out that footsteps didn't vary based on the surface being walked on.[94] Dodson felt that the animations were dated, but were "nothing to scoff at".[86] Hiles commented that the character model animations needed improvement.[84]
The Xbox edition received mixed reviews from critics in comparison to the original game. On the topic of graphics, Matthew Kato fromGame Informer wrote that there were "graphical updates here and there" and mentioned the game's inclusion of weather.[89]Greg Kasavin ofGameSpot felt that the visuals weren't extraordinary and not enough to make the game "good-looking".[91]IGN's Aaron Boulding mentioned that they were "the biggest disappointment". He commented that the environments were noteworthy in design, but "not in their overall look and level of detail".[95]
TheAI technology was a surplus for the Xbox edition, because of critics praising for its human-like behavior. Kato mentioned that the bot AI contained some "human-esque traits" and that it would start to understand the map after some rounds.[89] Kasavin found it surprising that the bots weren't following real-life tactics of terrorists or counter-terrorists, but rather mimic the actions of a player.[91] He pointed out that they wouldcamp at a certain place and follow the orders of a player, such as following them or holding a position.[91]
Many critics also highlightedXbox Live as one of the main reasons to purchase the game. Kasavin noted that it runs properly, with hosted matches able to hold 10 players.[91] Boulding expressed that "online play over Xbox Live is going to be the greatest reason to buy this game" and that it's convenient.[95] While Xbox Live for Xbox games was terminated in 2010,Counter Strike is playable online on the revival online servers calledInsignia which has restored online functionality to original Xbox games.[109]
Counter-Strike earned numerous accolades on its release. In 2000, it was recognized by many gaming magazines and websites as Game of the Year, Action Game of the Year, or Online Game of the Year. The game also won 2 reader polls for Game of the Year from GameSpot US and VoodooExtreme readers. At the Game Developer 2001 Spotlight Awards,Counter-Strike was named Best Multiplayer Game and received a Special Achievement in Gaming.[110]
In 2003,Counter-Strike was inducted intoGameSpot's greatest games of all-time list.[8]
Counter-Strike became the first fan-made video game to be released commercially.[111] By July 2001, global retail sales of the game had surpassed 250,000 units.[112] By October 2002, sales had exceeded 1.3 million copies.[113] Sales continued to rise, reaching 1.5 million units and generating $40 million in revenue by February 2003.[114]
By August 2004,Counter-Strike had grossed $75 million in revenue and had an estimated two million players worldwide.[115] In the United States, its retail version sold 550,000 copies and earned $15.7 million by August 2006, making it the 22nd best-selling PC game in the country between January 2000 and August 2006.[116] The Xbox version of the game sold 1.5 million copies.[117]
As of December 2008,Counter-Strike had sold approximately 4.2 million copies, surpassing all other Valve games exceptHalf-Life andHalf-Life 2.[118]
A portion ofHalf-Life sales is often attributed toCounter-Strike since the game was originally available as a modification ofHalf-Life.[119][120]Half-Life experienced an unusual increase in sales year-over-year following its release, whichGabe Newell attributed to the popularity ofCounter-Strike. He described the release of the mod as one of the best things that could have happened toHalf-Life.[121]
The originalCounter-Strike has been played in competitive tournaments since 2000, with the first major event taking place at theCyberathlete Professional League (CPL) Winter Championship in 2001.[122][123] The CPL announced a transition fromQuake III Arena toCounter-Strike for the Winter Championship. Prior to this, the 2000 Babbage's event featured a Counter-Strike competition sponsored by Kärna, the parent company ofRazer, offering a $15,000 prize pool. However, Kärna experienced financial difficulties, leading to delays in prize payouts. On March 14, 2001, the CPL issued a statement confirming that alternative arrangements would be made if the payments were not received by April 2, 2001.[124]
On April 12, 2001, the CPL Winter Championship commenced at theHyatt Regency inDallas,Texas. The event featured 48 competing teams, marking the first large-scaleCounter-Strike tournament. The competition attracted over 800 attendees, including participants andBring Your Own Computer (BYOC) players. Many professionalQuake players were notably absent, while theCounter-Strike community saw an influx of new competitors. This tournament was the largestCounter-Strike event at the time and contributed to the game's rise in professional esports.[125]
Following the success ofCounter-Strike, Valve went on to make multiple sequels. The first sequel,Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, which usedCounter-Strike'sGoldSrc engine, was released in 2004.Counter-Strike: Source, a remake of the originalCounter-Strike, was the first in the series to use Valve'sSource engine and was also released in 2004, eight months after the release ofCondition Zero. The next game in theCounter-Strike series wasCounter-Strike: Global Offensive, released for Windows, OS X, Linux,PlayStation 3, andXbox 360 in 2012.Counter-Strike 2, an updated version ofGlobal Offensive, was released in 2023.
^LevelDesign.nu - Intervjuer - MEEEEDIC. Archived from the original on 2002-08-22. "Jo Bieg: The guys at cs.net introduced the new de (defusion) scenarios and Cliffe asked me to change it so they'd have one map featuring that scenario in the next cs-release."
^abc"Interview mit Chris Mair, dem Author von de_train".counter-strike.de. October 31, 2000.{{cite web}}:|access-date= requires|url= (help);|archive-url= requires|url= (help);Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Law, Caryn (October 15, 2000)."TheHalf-Life Mod Expo 2000".Planet Half-Life.Archived from the original on November 9, 2000. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2025.
^Gheorghe, Silviu (October 9, 2002)."Valve Software Interview".Computer Games Romania. Archived fromthe original on November 11, 2002. RetrievedMarch 4, 2025.
