The Dawn of a New Era: Counter-Strike Global Offensive fans salute the end, welcomes the official launch of Counter-Strike 2.

1Gs in the chat boys.

It is truly the end of an era, with Valve finally shutting down the official Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) matchmaking servers. The servers will enter downtime to prepare for the start of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), the direct sequel for the storied FPS franchise. CSGO has had a 12-year run, having been launched by Valve in 2012. Earlier this year, it was announced that CS2 would officially launch on the 27th of September, marking the end of over a decade of memories for many fans of the franchise.

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For several months now, Valve has been running rounds of tests on beta servers for CS2, allowing players of the franchise to get their hands on the latest iteration of Counter-Strike. With a virtual truckload of new changes, CS2 marks a new step in not just Valve’s ever-growing portfolio of everyone’s favorite tactical shooter, but a new step for gaming, with an upgraded engine, updated visuals, new mechanics, and many more. Furthermore, for players, both casual and professional, the launch of CS2 marks the dawn of a new era.

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Farewell CSGO (21st August 2012-27 September 2023)

Earlier tonight, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive officially closed their servers. Therefore, fans and players alike took to social media to express their fond farewells to the game that has been their steady companion over the last decade. At 9.41 pm BST, Counter-Strike’s official Twitter account posted a trailer for CS2, marking its official launch.

Throughout the decade, CSGO has continued to be one of the most played games on Valve’s Steam catalogue. It continues to be one of the most-watched games on popular streaming platform, Twitch. In 2023, a census was done, revealing that at peak active hours, CSGO had over 1.5-1.8 million concurrent players. Moreover, it is consistently a top 5-6 category on Twitch, averaging in September 2023 of 126,421 viewers at peak and 25,068 at lowest.

Reddit post marking the official close of CSGO servers. Read more here.

The esports scene for the game is widely considered to be one of the biggest, best, and most successful thriving of any esports title. Many of the game’s finest players today, recall the fondest of memories from years playing in the scene, and it has a rich history all the way from the top professional scenes, populated by elite players, down to the grassroots players, competing for a chance to rise the ranks. However, even players who thrive in other esports titles, especially other FPS titles, have more often than not spent time in CSGO’s servers, further highlighting how important of a stepping-stone this title was for many of esports’ greatest today.

Read more: Best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive rosters of all time.

CSGO's Cathedral of Counter-Strike. Cologne, Germany. Credit: CSGO Twitter

The Launch of Counter-Strike 2

CS2 launches today, and fans and players are more excited than ever to get their hands on the newest sequel. Certainly, the introduction of all new mechanics, the revolutionary sub-tick system, and Source 2 engine are all elements that drive the extreme excitement.

Moreover, new tournaments are already being announced for CS2, with the new Copenhagen Major having been announced, as well as IEM Katowice and ESL One Cologne being prominent jewels to showcase CS2 in its early months of launch. In conclusion, the launch of CS2 will be an exciting new chapter in the history of FPS esports, and there has never been a more exciting time for the modern Counter-Strike fan.

Read more: Enjoying the Summer Break: Counter-Strike Tournaments to watch.

Viewership stats taken from sullygnome.com. CSGO player count taken from Steam API. Check out #Goodbye CSGO on Twitter to see all the farewells dedicated to one of the most legendary FPS titles out there.

Read all the latest CS2-related news on Strafe Esports.

Credit: CSGO // Valve