In 2023, CS 2 replaced the old Global Offensive. However, the old Counter-Strike is back, albeit with restrictions.
The return of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is surprising in itself, as three years ago it wasn’t simply discarded, but integrated into Counter-Strike 2. At that time, CS:GO disappeared completely from Steam and could no longer be installed as a standalone application. However, this has recently become possible again.
How to keep playing CS:GO
Global Offensive will not simply reappear in your library, and you will not be able to find the game on Steam using the normal search function. However, you can use the direct link to the store page for CS:GO, you can download the game again for free.
You will find two notes on the page. One says: “At the publisher’s request, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is no longer listed on Steam and will no longer appear in searches.” The other refers to CS 2 as the current game in the series.
Is CS:GO fully playable again?
No. Things like achievements are not available, and most importantly, the servers for online matchmaking are not active.
However, that doesn’t mean you can only play CS:GO against bots.
You can find numerous community servers that you can join and play against other players – it’s just like it used to be.
According to SteamDB, more than 61,000 concurrent players returned to CS:GO yesterday, and the number of players is approaching that figure again at the moment.
The new shop page has already collected almost 25,000 97 percent positive reviews, and players are happy to have the “old Counter-Strike” back.
What Valve’s exact plans are for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are currently unknown. Perhaps the game is actually coming back, because the shop page is unlikely to have been revived without an ulterior motive.
Incidentally, CS:GO never completely disappeared, but could still be played via a branch in the CS2 settings – albeit only with bots.
