Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, have you heard of it? It is the fourth title in the Counter-Strike Series. This multiplayer tactical shooter game is also known as CS: GO.
This FPS game offers intense battles between two 5-players teams with nine official game modes. In these game modes, the perfect gun game with strategic execution of your positioning can be so crucial that you will be on your toes during the match duration. With this exceptional gameplay, people have been drooling over it since its release.
Why is this game so popular?
- It is multiplayer
- It has a loyal fanbase
- Counter-Strike allows you to go pro
- Great matchmaking system and easy learning curve
CS: GO has a dedicated esports scene. Two recent significant tournaments were IEM Rio Major 2022, with a $1,250,000 prize pool won by Outsiders (VP), and PGL Major Antwerp 2022, with a $1,000,000 prize pool won by FaZe Clan. Here are the top 5 CS: GO tournaments listed below –
- PGL ajor Antwerp 2022- $1,000,000
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021- $2,000,000
- IEM Rio Major 2022- $1,250,000
- StarLadder Major: Berlin 2019- $1,000,000
- IEM Katowice Major 2019- $1,000,000
S1mple, GeT_RiGhT, and Ailey are renowned names in the professional scene. Alexander “s1mple” Kostyliev is one of the best players in CS: GO. His net worth is over $1,100,000. He gets around $30k to $50k salary from Na’Vi, and other sources of income include brands, ads, Twitch streaming endorsement, and others. Here are the top 3 male gamers and three female gamers and their approximate net worth:
Male CS: GO players:
- S1mple- more than $1 milion
- Dev1ce- $1.92 million
- GeT_RiGhT- $1.5 million
Female CS: GO players:
- Ailey- $23k
- Nast1a- $24k
- FemSteph- $24k
Valve Corporation and Hidden Path Entertainment have shaken their hand to create Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2012. This game is available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 3, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and GeForce Now. More than 100 million players have played this game worldwide, with 33 million active players.
Where you can download the game
You can download this game on your PC from Steam by clicking this link:
It is the only platform to provide players with legal access to play this game.
Table of contents
PC requirements of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, CS: GO, requires specific system requirements. Here is the list of minimum specifications that supports CS: GO.
For Windows:
OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 processor or better
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: The video card must be 256 MB or more and should be DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 3.0
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Storage: 15 GB available space
For macOS:
OS: MacOS X 10.11 (El Capitan) or later
Processor: Intel Core Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 2400 or better / NVIDIA 8600M or better
Storage: 15 GB available space
For SteamOS + Linux:
OS: Ubuntu 12.04
Processor: 64-bit Dual core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600 (Graphic Drivers: NVIDIA 310, AMD 12.11), OpenGL 2.1
Storage: 15 GB available space
Sound Card: OpenAL Compatible Sound Card
Storyline
History of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Like DOTA 2, Counter-Strike was created as a mod of the legendary game Half-life 1 in 1999. As the Counter-Strike 1.6 and Half-life 1 were built in the same engine, Counter-Strike 1.6 has borrowed several textures and assets from this game. Even this game is known as Half-life: Counter-Strike. Here is a list of the games from Counter-Strike:
- Counter-Strike 1.6
- Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
- Counter-Strike: Source
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Even the overall concept and first-person gameplay were similar to the Half-life series. With the success of the Counter-Series, Valve and its partner Hidden Path Entertainment developed and published this game in 2012. This title is a tactical first-person shooter game centered on guns and other weapon-based combat from a first-person perspective.
Game details and modes – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The game’s basic concept is that players can choose between ‘Terrorists’ and ‘Counter-Terriorists’ and join in 5-versus-5 battles with a vast range of weaponry. The ‘Terrorists’ team has to plant a bomb and detonate it in a specific bomb site, and the “Counter-Terriorists” team has to diffuse them. Both groups can also win by eliminating opponents.
The game has nine official modes:
- Competitive mode
- Casual mode
- Arms Race mode
- Deathmatch mode
- Demolition mode
- Flying Scoutsman mode
- Wingman mode
- Retakes mode
- Danger Zone mode
In competitive mode, two teams consist of five players, each fighting against the other in a best-of-30 match. Casual and Deathmatch modes are less severe than competitive mode. Arms Race and Demolition is based on mods for previous titles.
Arms Race is an optimized version of ‘Gun Game’ mode in other Counter-Strike titles. In Demolition, players diffuse bombs and can upgrade their guns only after killing an enemy in the previous round. Wingman mode is a two-on-two bomb diffuse mode of 16 rounds. In Flying Scoutsmen, players can only equip Scout, aka SSG 08 sniper, and a knife.
In Retake, three Terrorists have to defend an already planted C4 against four Counter-Terriorists. Danger Zone is a battle royale, where up to 18 players have to search for equipment, and weapons, combat against each other, and are the last person or team standing on the map. Valve has also introduced Weapons mode to assist the players in practice.
The game offers a massive range of weapons, including Knives, pistols, SMGs, Rifles, Heavy (shotguns and LMGs), Grenades, Gears, Mission Gears, weapons, and related equipment to Danger Zone.
Available customizations – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
You can customize several in-game options in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
- Crosshair
- Sensitivity
- View model
- The minimap
- Control
- In-game font
This game offers vast options for customizing weapons, gears, and equipment. The game provides several cosmetic weapon finishes to the players. The game is free-to-play with a few free weapon skins, but several purchase options are available. Players can purchase the weapon skins through the loot box mechanism.
Even players can purchase graffiti to draw on the maps in CS: GO. AK-47 Wild Lotus, AWPGungnir, Factory New Crimson Web knives, and Katowice 2014 Stickers (Holo) are examples of expensive purchasable items in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It is not a pay-to-win game; hence these cosmetics do not boost the stats of the weapons.
The game was released in 2012, but Valve continuously releases several updates and patch notes to maintain this game’s relevance to the audiences. The game’s graphics have improved and are still playable on low-end systems.
In 2014, Valve added ‘music kits’ that replaced the default in-game music. These music kits were created by soundtrack artists Commissioned by the Valve Corporation. With outstanding gameplay, music design, and graphics, critics praised the game.
All you need to know about the professional scenario of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a synonym for competitive gaming. The esports scene of Counter-Strike started to build in 2000, rightly after the release of Counter-Strike 1.6. Thousands of professional players from different teams worldwide participate in several global and regional CS: GO tournaments. Here are a few elements that can portray a professional scene:
- Tournaments
- Teams
- Players
Tournaments
Rightly after release, several CS GO tournaments have been sponsored by Valve. The first major CS: GO tournament was set in Sweden and hosted by DreamHack with a prize pool of $250,000.
Organizers like DreamHack, ESL, ELeague, PGL, and others have organized significant tournaments over the years. Tournaments like StarLadder Berlin Major, PGL Major Stockholm 2021, PGL Antwerp 2022, and Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major 2022 are recent tournaments with each of them, with massive prize pools of over $1,000,000. BLAST Paris Major 2023 begins shortly with an enormous prize pool of $1,250,000.
Teams
Ninjas in Pyjamas, a CS: GO team, has impacted the CS: GO competitive scene in its initial days by being back-to-back 5-time finalists in the major CS: GO tournaments. Several teams from different regions are active in the CS: GO competitive scene.
While Outsiders (VP) is the current champion by winning IEM Rio Major 2022, Astralis holds the record of winning four major titles. Teams like FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Team Liquid, and Indian Organisations such as Global Esports and Entity games are the well-known teams of CS: GO.
Players
Do you want to get awestruck by clutches, reflexes, and nerve-wracking moments by the Professional players of CS: GO? Here GeT RiGhT, Olofmeister, S1mple, Niko, Sh1ro, and Broky are a few players whose tournament highlights can be a wholesome moment for you.
Ailey, Nast1a, and FemSteph are famous names in the female competitive circuit. Antidote, Ritz, and Tryst are Indian CS: GO players who are also veterans of this game.
Beginner to Pro Setup
You can start this game as a beginner, stick to essential system accessories, and enjoy the game. But, if you want to focus on the professional scene and try your skills as a gamer, you will require good quality gaming mouse. S1mple uses Logitech G USB PRO X Superlight Wireless Gaming Mouse in his gaming sessions. With 25,600k DPI, Lightweight, and five programmable buttons, you will get an edge over your opponents in the match.
You can purchase from the link given below:
Why you should play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Reasons are countless (really! almost) Play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for the following reasons:
- Beginner-friendly
- Low system requirements
- Free-to-play, not pay-to-win
- Multiplayer
- Esports scene
- Dedicated community
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been around for over a decade, and there is no chance it will go anytime soon. ‘Easy to play, hard to master’ gameplay makes this game beginner friendly. The game provides fun shooting gameplay with simple objectives.
CS: GO does not require high-end specifications. Very few games can run on Windows 7, and it is one of those PC games. The game has a dedicated community of professional players, streamers, and gaming enthusiasts. You can learn new skills and exchange equipment.
The game supports multiplayer co-op. Hence you can play this game with your friends. As the game has an active competitive scene, potential gamers can grind and make a career based on esports. Above all, the game is free-to-play and not pay-to-win; hence, gaming enthusiasts can try it. It is easily accessible on the Steam library.
Top FAQs related to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Q: Is CS: GO hard for beginners?
A: No, if you have played other FPS games, It can be easier for you to begin.
Q: What are the system requirements for CS: GO?
A: For Windows, the system requirements are as follows –
OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 processor or better
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: The video card must be 256 MB or more and should be DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 3.0
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Storage: 15 GB available space
Q: Can I play this game offline?
A: Yes, CS: GO is also available offline. The offline mode does not have a multiplayer mode, but you can play exciting solo missions against bots.
Conclusion
With a simple concept of gameplay, nine interesting official modes, decent graphics, low system requirements, ever-growing esports scene, the game is a must-have for every gamer. The free-to-model with jaw-dropping moments, this game is worth playing.
If you play CS: GO, using a good quality headset can ensure that you don’t miss a beat- opponent’s gunfire, footsteps, etc. – and It also assists you in communicating with your teammates. Purchase the Arctis Pro headset from here:
