In a triumphant display of its enduring popularity, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) shattered its all-time concurrent player peak record on Saturday, May 6th, over a decade after its initial release on Steam. According to SteamDB, the free-to-play FPS boasted an incredible 1.8 million concurrent users, surpassing its previous record of 1.5 million concurrent players that CS:GO achieved in March 2023. This feat cements the game’s position as the second-highest all-time concurrent player peak on Steam. Trailing only behind PUBG, which achieved an astronomical 3.25 million concurrent users in January 2018.
Since its launch, CS:GO has been developed and published by Valve, the studio behind the Steam platform, and numerous critically acclaimed games such as Portal, Half-Life, and Left 4 Dead. The game’s continued success is a testament to Valve’s commitment to providing players with compelling content and making sure players have something to come back to.
CS:GO Reaches All-Time Concurrent Player Milestone 11 Years After Release
The future looks bright for fans of the franchise, as Valve announced the development of a new version of the game. The game will be titled Counter-Strike 2, which will launch as a free upgrade to CS:GO in the summer of 2023. This news confirms long-standing rumors about the game’s sequel, and fans can now look forward to an upgraded experience with improved visuals, better performance, and exciting new features. It remains to be seen how popular CS2 gets, and considering the current player peak for CS:GO, it’s only up from here.
Players who can’t wait for the full release can participate in a limited test for Counter-Strike 2, set to run ahead of the official launch. CS:GO accounts and items will carry over to the new game, ensuring that players can continue their progress without interruption. Overall, the future of the Counter-Strike franchise looks bright. And for anyone who has been thinking about jumping in, there’s no time like the present.