Counter-Strike history
The history of Counter-Strike and the CS:GO era, from a site that covered it in 2011.
Counter-Strike 1.6
2003–
Counter-Strike 1.6Video
Counter-Strike games in order: release dates from 1999 to 2004
Counter-Strike release dates in order: the 1999 beta, version 1.0 in 2000, the Xbox version, Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source in 2004.
By CSgoFriends
Counter-Strike 1.6
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero: three studios and the 2004 release
Valve's Condition Zero page named three co-producers from 2002 to 2003, and a Steam news post announced the release on March 23, 2004.
By CSgoFriends
Counter-Strike 1.6
Counter-Strike esports in the CS 1.6 era: CPL to IEM, 2001-2010
How the CPL turned to Counter-Strike in 2001, how version 1.6 arrived in 2003 and where the game was played at ESWC, WCG and IEM, up to 2010.
By CSgoFriends
Counter-Strike 1.6Video
Classic Counter-Strike maps: Dust to Inferno, 1999-2001
How six classic Counter-Strike maps arrived, from Dust and Nuke in Beta 4 to Dust II and Inferno in version 1.1, and what became of them later.
By CSgoFriends
Counter-Strike 1.6
Counter-Strike 1.6 release: the Steam beta and September 2003 launch
How Counter-Strike 1.6 moved from a delayed Steam beta in January 2003 to its final release in September 2003, and what changed in the game.
By CSgoFriends
Counter-Strike: Source
2004–
Counter-Strike: SourceVideo
Counter-Strike: Source in 2004: announcement, beta and final version
How Valve announced the Counter-Strike: Source beta on July 7, 2004, opened it in phases in August and gave Steam buyers the final version on Oct. 7.
By CSgoFriends
CS:GO
2012–2023
CS:GO
CS:GO Skill Groups: all 18 names and how the system changed from 2012
Valve added Skill Groups to CS:GO competitive on Oct. 25, 2012. Here are all 18 names, how the system worked and the Wingman and Danger Zone versions that followed.
By CSgoFriends
CS:GO
Counter-Strike Active Duty pool: maps that left, 2014 to 2026
Maps Valve removed from the Active Duty pool between 2014 and 2026, with dates from Valve's posts and patch notes, from Nuke in 2015 to Overpass in 2026.
By CSgoFriends
CS:GO
Counter-Strike Major winners, 2013 to 2026: champions and finals
A timeline of Counter-Strike Major champions from Fnatic in 2013 to Team Falcons at IEM Cologne 2026, with finals, formats and prize pools.
By CSgoFriends
CS:GO
How CS:GO got Arms Race and Demolition: the Arsenal modes, 2011-2012
Valve announced the Arsenal modes for CS:GO on Sept. 22, 2011. Demolition and Arms Race reached the beta in March 2012.
By CSgoFriends