When eSports are brought up, naturally, the lane games like Dota 2 and League of Legends are the first titles that come to mind. However, weighing in among them, and even surpassing the eSports titans in many regards, is Counter-Strike. Easily the most popular of the competitive first-person shooters, the franchise has been in circulation for over two decades, with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive now a centerpiece of the gaming world.
Not only is Counter-Strike a thrilling game, as shown by its tremendous player count, but it also makes for great viewing. Sitting only behind Grand Theft Auto V, League of Legends, Valorant, Minecraft, and Apex Legends in total hours of gaming watched on popular platform Twitch in September 2021, CS:GO boasted 61.3 million hours, 22.8 million of which were eSports hours. It’s become a cultural landmark in gaming, but how has it reached these heights?