CS:GO has been around for so long that it’s easy to forget how fun it still is. It’s the game’s history, however, that makes it what it is today.
For example, when did CS:GO come out? Technically, the answer is 2012, but CS:GO is only the latest iteration of Counter-Strike. That game has been around for a lot longer, starting life as a Half-Life mod in 1999.
Want to know more about CS: GO and its rich history? Read on for some cool facts about the game’s inspiration, development, and success!
Name Inspiration
As mentioned, Counter-Strike was originally a mod made by two Half-Life fans. Soon, Valve realized what it had and acquired the mod’s IP rights. The very next year, they turned it into one of the best FPS games ever.
How did the game get its now-iconic name, though? As it turns out, its creator took inspiration from the Canadian TV show Counter-Strike. Other options included Counter Terror, Frag Heads, and Strike Force.
Missing Logo
If you look at the CS: GO logo, you’ll see a person holding a Scar-L weapon. This was a change from the previous CS versions, which had the UMP-45. The strange part is that Scar-L was never officially added to the game.
According to long-time fans, Scar-L (or Scar-17) was in the game during its development phase. By the time the full version rolled around, though, it was already gone. Despite that, Valve never saw fit to remove it from the logo.
When Did CS:GO Come Out?
As mentioned, the version of Counter-Strike we know as CS: GO arrived in 2012. What you may not know is that it didn’t always have competitive matchmaking. Without ranks, you could’ve played against anyone.
A few months into the game’s life, Valve realized the system was unfair. They responded by introducing CS: GO rankings, which pitted you against players of similar skill. This was the moment when the game took off.
Outsourced Development
At this point, Valve and Counter-Strike are all but synonymous with each other. It may surprise you, then, that they never fully developed a Counter-Strike game. From the original mod to CS: GO, they’ve always had help.
For CS: GO, they outsourced most of the work to Hidden Path Entertainment (HPE). At first, HPE set out to port CS: Source onto consoles. Valve saw an opportunity to upgrade and helped turn the port into a full game.
A Versatile Voice
Voice commands are a key element of Counter-Strike’s popularity. Short and to the point, these responses now have a legendary status of their own. And early on, they were all recorded by one man: co-creator Jess Cliffe.
CS: GO marked the end of Cliffe’s role as the “voice of CS.” The game featured full voice acting for each faction. That said, some of Cliffe’s original voice work remains untouched, such as the classic “Terrorists Win.”
Deleting Skins
Splurging on the best CSGO cases is a great way to make your loadout unique. Cases you get as drops, however, tend to be worthless. That’s why there’s an option to delete a case by right-clicking on it in your inventory.
Now, what if we told you that you used to be able to delete skins as well? As a result, many people deleted valuable items and complained to Valve. At one point, Valve decided they’d had enough and removed that option.
Rare Bot Names
Though CS: GO is best enjoyed with friends, you can play with bots as well. If you do, you may notice that some bots are named after real people. For instance, “Gabe” is a reference to Gabe Newell, the head of Valve.
Other bot names are also homages to key figures in the game’s history. In Expert Difficulty, you’ll see bots named after co-creators Cliffe and Minh. You’ll also see map creators Dave (Dust, Dust 2) and Chris (Aztec, Inferno).
Driveable Vehicles
Since Counter-Strike was a Half-Life mod first, it included many Half-Life elements. One of them was the ability to drive vehicles. Some maps, such as Star Wars, were even built around a massive vehicle in the middle.
As fun as they were, though, vehicles were at odds with the competitive nature of the game. As Counter-Strike became more of a “serious” title, vehicles fell by the wayside. A later update removed them altogether.
Rematch Voting
Once in a while in CS: GO, you’ll play a round that was so fun you wish for a rematch. Well, this used to be an option. Players could vote for a rematch, and if the vote was unanimous, they’d play again with the same teams.
The November 2014 CS: GO patch notes removed this option from the game. Though Valve never gave a reason for it, they likely did so to prevent abuse. Rematch options made farming points too easy.
Sneaky Bomb Sites
If there’s one thing that sets CS apart from the competition, it’s the bomb/defuse maps. It’s interesting, then, that these maps weren’t always in the game. Early on, all maps revolved around rescuing hostages.
When bomb/defuse maps did arrive, they worked a bit differently. Instead of having two bomb sites, you could plant a bomb anywhere on the map. Once this got fixed, these maps started dominating esports tournaments.
Secret Languages
As a global title, it’s no surprise that CS: GO has many language options. What’s more, it even has a Pirate dialect! That said, this isn’t a menu option; you’ll have to use a console command to add it to the game.
To switch your language to Pirate, open CS: GO Launch Options on Steam. Then, simply add “- language pirate” after “autoexec.cfg.” When you open the game again, you’ll see a variety of interesting new commands.
Other Cool Video Game Facts
As you can see, the history of CS: GO is even richer than it seems at first. Add in the sublime mechanics and it’s clear why the game remains a hit.
Now that you know the answer to “When did CS:GO come out?”, why not take another trek through gaming history? Keep reading our tech section for more video game facts you may not know about!
Sharon Howe is a creative person with diverse talents. She writes engaging articles for WonderWorldSpace.com, where she works as a content writer. Writing allows Sharon to inform and captivate readers. Additionally, Sharon pursues music as a hobby, which allows her to showcase her artistic abilities in another creative area.