Cover-Credits:
While official support for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) might have ended in 2023, there are ways to keep playing in 2024. The iconic first person shooter was sunset in favor of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2). While CS2 retains all of the elements of CS:GO, a lot of players want to the old-school experience CS:GO offers and if you are one of them, here's what you need to do.
Access CS:GO via CS 1.6's Legacy Version on Steam
You can access a Legacy Version of CSGO through Counter-Strike 1.6 (CS 1.6) on Steam. Here's a simplified breakdown:
Open Steam and go to your Library.
Right-click on CS 1.6 and select "Properties."
Click on the "Betas" tab.
Under "Beta participation," choose "csgo_legacy."
Steam will download the necessary files.
Now, when you launch CS 1.6, you'll have the option to play CSGO's Legacy Version.
You can buy the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/10/CounterStrike/
During sales, the game typically costs just a dollar in most regions so you can grab it for a very low price in case you don't own it already.
How to Play CS:GO Online in 2024
Even though official matchmaking might be unavailable, community servers are still up and running. These servers offer alternative game modes and experiences. You can find community servers by searching for them in the server browser within CSGO (Legacy Version).
Keep in mind that the Legacy Version might have limitations compared to the official version of CSGO. Also, the number of players on community servers might be lower than in official matchmaking.
Should You Play CS:GO or CS2?
CS2 features better networking, smoke mechanics and potentially even customization changes that have not been added to the game yet. There is no real reason to play CS:GO aside nostalgia. Community-made servers will continue to exist for years to come knowing how popular CS:GO was over the past decade.
