Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was Valve’s tactical 5v5 shooter from August 2012 until September 27, 2023. On that date, Counter-Strike 2 replaced it on Steam as a free update to the same game. If you owned CS:GO, you already own CS2, and your skins and inventory came with you.
What CS:GO was
CS:GO launched on Windows, macOS, Xbox 360 and PS3, with Linux support added later. The PC version is the one that lasted. The core loop never changed. Terrorists plant the bomb, Counter-Terrorists defuse or prevent it, and money earned each round decides what you can buy next.
Three updates shaped its long run:
- Arms Deal (August 2013) added weapon skins and cases. That kept the player base growing for a decade.
- Free-to-play (December 2018) removed the price tag and launched the Danger Zone battle royale. Prime Status became the paid tier for cleaner matchmaking.
- Majors gave the game its esports identity. The first was DreamHack Winter 2013, won by Fnatic. The last CS:GO Major was BLAST.tv Paris in May 2023, won by Team Vitality.
Competitive matchmaking used 18 skill groups. They ran from Silver I to The Global Elite, and CS:GO played MR15, meaning first to 16 rounds.
What changed in CS2
| Area | CS:GO | CS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Source | Source 2 |
| Server updates | 64 or 128 tick | 64 tick with sub-tick input timing |
| Smokes | Static sprites | Volumetric, cleared briefly by bullets and HE grenades |
| Match length | MR15 (first to 16) | MR12 (first to 13) |
| Ranked | 18 skill groups | Premier CS Rating plus per-map Competitive ranks |
| Maps | Original versions | Inferno, Nuke, Overpass and Ancient rebuilt; others relit |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows and Linux only |
The smoke change matters most in actual rounds. You can now shoot or nade a hole in a smoke for a split second, so one-way setups and lurk timings work differently than they did in CS:GO.
Shotcaller's note
MR12 cuts the maximum regulation length from 30 rounds to 24. Each eco round is a bigger share of the half, so forcing after a lost pistol round is riskier in CS2 than it was in CS:GO.
How the rating systems compare
When people search “counter strike global offensive rating,” they usually mean one of two things.
Ranked rating. Premier mode in CS2 replaced the old skill groups with a visible numeric CS Rating. The rating is grouped by color: grey under 5,000, then light blue, blue, purple, pink and red in 5,000-point steps, with gold at 30,000 and above. Competitive mode still uses map-specific skill groups with the familiar Silver-to-Global names.
Game rating. CS:GO carries an ESRB rating of M (Mature) for blood and intense violence and is PEGI 18 in Europe. Critics scored the PC version in the low 80s on Metacritic at launch.
Heads up
After January 1, 2024, the CS:GO legacy build lost official matchmaking and game coordinator support. It still runs for community servers and older hardware, but it no longer gets updates or ranked play.
Can you still play CS:GO?
Yes, with limits. Valve kept a legacy version of CS:GO for players whose PCs can’t run CS2, and for Mac users, since CS2 dropped macOS. Expect community servers and offline play only. If you want ranked matches, skin trading with current cases, or anything tied to the pro scene, you need CS2.
FAQ
Is CS:GO the same game as CS2?
CS2 replaced CS:GO under the same Steam entry. It runs on a new engine and has different smokes, ranked modes and match length, but the core mechanics and economy carry over.
Did I lose my CS:GO skins?
No. Your inventory moved to CS2 automatically. Many skins look different because of the new lighting and materials.
Is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive free on PC?
CS:GO went free-to-play in December 2018, and CS2 is free today. Prime Status is the paid upgrade. It unlocks Premier ranked play and drops, and it gives you matchmaking with fewer smurfs.
What age rating does CS:GO have?
CS:GO is rated M by the ESRB and PEGI 18, mainly for realistic gun violence and blood.