Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) expands upon the team-based action gameplay that the franchise pioneered when it was launched 12 years ago.

CS:GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS:GO introduces new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.

Classic: Competitive

This is the classic gameplay that made Counter-Strike famous. Queue up and join a 5v5 best-of-30 match using standard competitive Counter-Strike rules on one of the classic maps. You can join a match on your own, or form a team and enter a match as a unit.

Classic: Casual

Ready to play some Counter-Strike, but don’t want to commit to a full match? Find a casual match and play at your own pace. In Casual mode, players automatically receive body armor and defusal kits and gain bonus rewards for kills.

Demolition

In demolition mode, players take turns attacking and defending a single bombsite in a series of maps designed for fast-paced gameplay. Players are automatically granted a starting weapon, and advance through a sequence of firearms when they register a kill. If you’re up to the challenge, you can try to register a kill each round and reach the ultimate weapons, powerful sniper rifles!

Arms Race

Arms race is a gun-progression mode featuring instant respawning and a ton of close-quarter combat. Players gain new weapons immediately after registering a kill as they work their way through each weapon in the game. Get a kill with the final weapon, a golden knife, and win the match.

In 1999 Counter-Strike was released as a mod for Half-Life. As Counter-Strike progressed from a beta to a full release, it refined the classic gameplay that has come to define competitive shooters and produced a dedicated community that has followed the game for over a decade.

Through each of its iterations – 1.6, Source, and Global Offensive – Counter-Strike has been the de facto benchmark of a player’s skill. Teams from around the world are constantly demonstrating their ability and strategies in local, regional, and international tournaments.

Professional Counter-Strike players have become legendary in the international gaming community. Below, learn about some of these players and how they shaped the history of Counter-Strike.