CS:GO has returned to Steam as a separate download after over two and a half years. When Counter-Strike 2 launched in 2023, Valve made the decision to assimilate CS:GO into it to avoid splitting the fan base. This didn’t go down well with the community, as this also resulted in the game’s achievements being removed.
It now seems CS:GO is once again a separate downloadable app on Steam (thanks, Game Follower), but there is a catch. You won’t be able to search for the game on Steam, as a note on the page says “At the request of the publisher, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is unlisted on the Steam store and will not appear in search.”
You Can Once Again Download CS:GO On Steam
While the game doesn’t show up in search, there is evidently a separate page for it, and it’s available to download too. However, I have some bad news for you if you’re hoping to get back your achievements from all those years ago. Unfortunately, many features, including online components like matchmaking, are working as of now. Valve has maintained its trademark silence about why this is happening.
This hasn’t stopped fans from celebrating, though, with many hoping that the game will get a separate license, leading to community servers and none of the baggage from CS2. While that would be great, it wouldn’t be in Valve’s interest to relaunch CS:GO in such a manner. A major part of the community would jump to it from CS2.
It’s highly likely that Valve is just restructuring things in the back-end, leading to a separate download for CS:GO. However, if it does decide to get CS:GO up and running properly, you can expect a massive migration of players from CS2.
- Released
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August 21, 2012
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence
- Engine
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Source
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
