Do people still play CS:GO?

Not really, because CS:GO no longer exists as the main game. In September 2023 Valve replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with Counter-Strike 2, which uses the Source 2 engine and took over CS:GO's spot on Steam. Players, skins and the pro scene all moved to CS2, and it remains one of the most-played games on Steam, often at the top of the concurrent player charts.

What happened to CS:GO

• CS2 replaced it in place. If you owned CS:GO, you got CS2 automatically in the same Steam library entry.
• Inventories carried over. Skins, stickers and other items from CS:GO work in CS2.
• Old version is not for matchmaking. Valve briefly kept a legacy CS:GO version for older hardware, but it has no official matchmaking, so CS:GO is effectively retired.
• Esports moved to CS2. Major tournaments are played in CS2.

Why Counter-Strike stays popular

• Simple rules, deep skill. Round-based bomb defusal with precise gunplay rewards practice for years.
• Free to play. CS:GO became free in 2018, and CS2 kept that model.
• Esports. It is one of the biggest esports games, alongside League of Legends and Dota 2.
• Skins economy. Cosmetic items and the Steam Community Market keep players invested.
• Community. Community servers, workshop maps and long-running traditions.

FAQ

Is Counter-Strike dying?

No. CS2 regularly reaches player numbers that only a few games on Steam match.

Can you still play older Counter-Strike games?

Yes. Counter-Strike 1.6 and Counter-Strike: Source are still sold on Steam and have active community servers.

Is Valorant or Counter-Strike more popular?

Both are huge. Counter-Strike leads on Steam, while Valorant, which runs on Riot's own launcher, is especially strong in some regions and with younger players.

Why is CS 1.6 still popular?

Nostalgia, low system requirements and a strong community, especially in regions where it was a LAN-cafe staple.

Who is the greatest CS:GO player of all time?

Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev is the most common answer, with Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz and others also in the conversation.