Counter-Strike
More info
- Creators
- Minh Le and Jess Cliffe
- Released
- 1999 (mod), 2000 (retail)
- Type
- Computer game
- Owner
- Valve
A mod built by two people in their spare time that became the world's most played competitive game for twenty-five years.
Minh Le and Jess Cliffe released the first beta for Half-Life in 1999. The formula was simple and merciless: terrorists against a counter-terrorist squad, a round lasts a couple of minutes, whoever dies sits and watches until the next one, and the money you earn decides what you can afford to buy next. The absence of respawning makes every decision expensive, which is the whole basis of the game's competitive value.
Valve hired the creators and published the game commercially in 2000. Through versions 1.6, Source, Global Offensive and CS2 it has remained the backbone of esports. Since 2013 there has also been an economy of cosmetic weapon skins traded for billions, repeatedly scrutinised for its resemblance to gambling.