Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is currently available on Steam. Launch it now* or buy it from Steam (via browser or Steam client).
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Steam Deck support status: Unknown - More info on ProtonDB

83

This game has received a Metascore® of 83 from Metacritic.
For reviews or more information, please click here.

This game is included in the following packages:

• Counter-Strike Complete
• Valve Complete Pack

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2011) is the latest game of the Counter-Strike franchise, running on the Source engine. The game is available on PC, through Steam, as well as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game contains the well-known hostage and bomb scenarios and has several new game modes not included in its predecessors, including "Deathmatch," "Demolition," and "Arms Race". The Arms Race and Demolition game modes are based on the popular mod "Gungame."

New weapons have also been added: Molotov grenades, which create a pool of fire in the ground, Decoy grenades, which create fake weapon sounds, and a taser melee weapon, the Zeus x27.

Technology-wise, Cascaded Shadow Maps has been implemented, wherein outdoor lighting (which was previously handled by a light_environment entity and produced only static lighting) now casts harsh, directional shadow maps similar to env_projectedtexture.

In June 2018, the brand new Source 2 Panorama UI launched into beta. There are apparently more planned Source 2 back-ported features to come soon.

On December 6, 2018, the game became free-to-play and introduced a new battle royale game mode called "Danger Zone."

Features

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive introduces:

Real-Time outdoor shadow mapping using the env_cascade_light entity

Similar to env_projectedtexture, used to render harsh, dynamic outdoor shadows

Light-mapped Ambient Occlusion

Used to create Ambient Occlusion on Brushes/Displacements

Map Workshop

Used to download custom maps from the workshop

Phong shading on Brushes (added 29 April 2015)

Allows for the addition of Phong highlights on brushes lit by environment light

Anisotropic reflection emulation

Used on cubemaps to emulate anisotropic reflections

Normal Map blending

Used to blend together multiple normal maps

Content

• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (csgo)
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive engine branch

Game modes

Official Game Mode		Match length	Penalties for abandoning?	Description of official Gameplay
	Competitive (Ranked / Unranked)	20-90 minutes	Yes	The classic gamemode: Two teams of 5 players fight in a best of 30 rounds. In Bomb Defusal scenarios, Terrorists must plant a bomb at a target and defend it until it explodes - Counter-Terrorists must either stop them from planting or defuse the bomb before it detonates. In Hostage Rescue scenarios, Counter-Terrorists must find and escort a hostage - Terrorists must stop them. There are skill groups for Competitive Matchmaking so that players are matched with enemies of a similar skill level. In Scrimmage, these skill groups are ignored.
	Wingman	10-30 minutes	Yes	Like Competitive, but adjusted for 2v2 and for a smaller map or a map section, best of 16 rounds, rounds are shorter.
	Casual	10-20 minutes	No	Like Competitive but not binding ("casual"), with simplified and shortened gameplay: best of 15 rounds, shorter freezetime per round, no friendly fire, no team collision, free armor and free defuse kit/cutters.
	Deathmatch	10 minutes	No	This is a single 10 minute round with instant respawns. The player's goal is to score the highest on the leaderboard by killing players on the enemy team with whatever weapon they wish to use. Weapons cost no money and only rifles, SMGs, heavy weapons, pistols and the Zeus x27 may be bought. Players have a short invulnerability period to buy weapons before moving. In the end, the three players that got the most points are showcased under the "[Team Name] Wins" message.
	Danger Zone	3-15 minutes	No	A Battle Royale mode played on big maps where players win by being the last man (or team) standing. The game starts with all players choosing an insertion point at which they rope down from a helicopter. There is a Danger Zone that starts from the map's borders and advances, making the playable area smaller and smaller and inflicting damage to players touching it. This game mode features numerous unique weapons and entities.
War Games
	Arms Race	5-10 minutes	No	This is a single extended round with instant respawn. All players start with the same weapon and get a new one each time they kill an enemy. The progression of unlocked weapons ends with the knife. The first player to get two kills with every weapon plus a kill with the golden knife wins the match.
	Demolition	10-20 minutes	No	This is a fast paced mix of bomb planting and gun progression. There are no buy menus, you start with a rifle and if you get a kill that round, you get a progressively weaker weapon in the next round. Best of 20 rounds.
	Flying Scoutsman	10-20 minutes	No	Like Casual but every player has a fixed loadout: A Scout and a knife. There is low gravity and no inaccuracy in mid-air, allowing higher and longer jumps and precise shooting, too.
	Retakes	5-10 minutes	No	Each round, 3 Terrorists spawn on a bomb site with a bomb being planted and 4 CTs spawn at fixed locations around it. Each player can choose a loadout card at round start.

See also: CS:GO Game Mode Commands.

Official Maps

See List of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive maps for a list of currently available maps and their game modes.

See Also

• CS:GO Level Creation
• CS:GO Dedicated Servers
• CS:GO Game State Integration
• CS:GO Pick'Em and Fantasy Games
• CS:GO Match History
• CS:GO Economy Items
• Wikipedia entry for CS:GO

Gallery

Todo: Add more screenshots.

External Links

• Official site
• Wikipedia:Counter-Strike: Global Offensive