Counter Strike - A Staple of the Esports Scene
Counter-Strike is a staple in the world of esports, however its humble beginnings are worth recollecting. It started out as a mod for Half-Life, designed by Minh Le and Jess Cliffe.
The game became popular and caught the attention of Valve. The company purchased the intellectual property and made into a separate game in 2000.
Origins
The Counter-Strike (CS) series is one of the most popular first-person shooter games of all time. Since its debut in 1999, it has been a mainstay of the gaming industry. It is also a top choice for gamers from all over the globe.
The game was initially conceived as a mod for the popular Half-Life game. The mod was created by two college students, Minh Le, and Jess Cliffe. It was launched as a beta in 1999. The mod added multiplayer play to Half-Life, in which players assumed the roles of terrorists or counter-terrorists, and took on a variety of objectives, like making bombs or capturing hostages.
Le and Cliffe were inspired to develop the mod after watching the film of Navy SEALs, that featured a mission wherein the protagonists were involved in hostage rescue. The mod was well-received and it gained popularity in the modding world. It was praised by the modding community for its authenticity and gameplay as well as the ability to reload.
In the summer of 2000 the popularity of the mod had reached such a level that Valve Corporation, the creators of Half-Life decided to make it an entirely separate game. The game was changed to Counter-Strike: Source in 2004 and released for Windows, OS X and Linux.
It was the first in the series with updated graphics and gameplay mechanics. It also introduced several new games modes. Counter-Strike became a huge success and was instrumental in establishing the multiplayer FPS genre. Its accessibility and simplicity of play made it popular with both casual and hard-core gamers, as well with gamers from all over the world.
case opening has produced a number of spin-offs, including Counter-Strike Online. This game is free to play and monetized via microtransactions. The series has inspired a number of anime and manga adaptations which include the Japanese manga series Counter-Strike: The Legend of the Orange Weapon. The game has also inspired a variety of arcade games developed by Namco that feature anime-inspired characters to draw attention to Asian gaming markets.
The mechanics
Counter-Strike is an original first-person shooting game that requires a different kind of skill. The majority of first-person shooters use simple strategies like killing and taking the flag. To be successful this game requires teamwork, strategic thinking and tactical planning. Players must learn how to read the map and know the location of their opponents, and plan strategies accordingly.
Players can choose between Terrorists or Counter-Terrorists. These are two opposing teams in a five-vs-5 game. Each round begins with both teams spawning at the same time. They also have a few seconds of "buy time" to purchase weapons or other equipment. The round begins with each team having an objective to achieve. A team could win if they complete their goal or eliminate the other.
Counter-Strike's game mechanics aren't easy. Even the most skilled players will be unable to spray accurately. It requires hours of practice. To make the most of their performance players must also remember the grenade locations on each map. Similarly, learning the different aiming styles for each weapon takes some time, too.
Since its inception the acclaim of Counter-Strike has grown. It has a huge fan base and its players compete at regional, international and local tournaments. The prize pools for these events are typically large and draw a lot of viewers. It is also a very popular game for streamers and has influenced other multiplayer games such as DotA 2.
Valve Software, the developer of Counter-Strike regularly releases updates to the game in order to keep it fresh and appealing. These updates can include new maps, game modes, and weapons. The game has also been ported onto other platforms, such as consoles and PC. At present, an unrestricted version of CS:GO for PC players is available. This version will only allow PC players to play Deathmatch and unranked matches on the Dust II map. This limitation could be modified in the near future as Valve continues to improve the game. A second game, Counter-Strike: Nexon Studio was released for the Asian Market. It is a spin-off from CS:GO which has been modified in gameplay to comply with Eastern design regulations.
Community
Counter-Strike, a game which began as a mod but has undergone many iterations and has evolved over time, is one of most popular Esports. The community is devoted and the players are some of the best players in the world, and player numbers are growing. CS: GO has been in the top 5 most watched games for a long time and isn't likely to go out of fashion anytime soon.
The original developers of Counter-Strike, Minh Le and Jess Cliffe, knew that the community was crucial to the success of their game. They devised a method for players to interact and share maps, which grew the player base organically. This is among the main reasons the game remains relevant so many years after its launch.
The community servers are a mainstay of CS: GO. These servers can be a great resource for new players to meet a group of organized players and get comfortable with the game before they move on to official Valve servers. These servers are run by volunteers and allow for playing in a competitive manner as well as casual fun.
In the beginning, when CS: GO was released, Intel Extreme Masters stood out as the top Counter-Strike competition. The prize amounts were in the thousands, and it attracted the best players from around the globe. This made IEM an important draw for media and fans, and the tournament has since grown to become one of the most watched esports across the world.
Although IEM hasn't released the dates for the 2019 event however, it is expected that the event will return to its traditional mid-to-late summer dates. This will allow CS: GO players plenty of time to prepare for this year's event and will also allow new players to participate in this popular tournament. This event has been rumored for weeks and teaser trailers were made public.
Global Offensive
The most popular game in the series, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a tactical first-person shooter game that puts two teams against one to play objective-based matches. The game requires extensive teamwork and precise gunplay to make it to the finish line, relies on recognizing and holding angles, the effective use of grenades, and in-game economy management. Its popularity led to a dedicated esports scene, with players competing in professionally-sponsored leagues and tournaments.
Developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve, CS:GO was released in August 2012 for PC, OS X, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is still evolving by releasing regular major content updates (known as Operations) and smaller patches for balancing. The game features online matchmaking, and features classic Bomb Defusal scenarios and Hostage Rescue scenarios, as well as new modes like Wingman and Danger Zone.
Valve has added new maps, weapons and characters to the game. There are nine official game modes available in CS:GO, each of which has distinct features. Players can also compete in casual and competitive matches on community-hosted servers or play on dedicated Valve-run ones. The game also comes with several additional game modes, such as Arms Race and Flying Scoutsman, along with the Battle Royale-style mode known as Danger Zone.
In addition to the brand new weapons and maps, CS:GO features an updated user interface, voice acting and other visual changes. The game also revamps the factions, taking away the option to choose one upon spawning, instead they can randomly assign a team of five to each map. Luminosity Gaming has won four major championships in CS:GO.
Counter-Strike is a popular first-person-shooter and has a huge following of gamers. It is also regarded as to be a benchmark for the level of skill. It has a huge community of esports and professional teams that compete in a wide range of international and local tournaments. It is one the most played games on Steam with around 11 million active users each month, in February 2019. The community has also established a large subreddit called r/CounterStrike. It is the biggest subreddit in its genre.