Vargas made a name for himself streaming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , and in particular CS:GO gambling, where players can bet in-game skins on professional matches or on games of chance (like this using a roulette wheel). Certain skins in CS:GO are limited-time items, and as such have a high value on secondary marketplaces, and diving into the seedy underbelly of CS:GO can lead to dark places. Allegations of match fixing in CS:GO are rampant, and with so much money on the line with folks wagering skins, some are getting very rich off the whole pract

The recent announcement of Counter-Strike 2 , set to release during Summer 2023, revived the interest for players in CS:GO skins. Valve stated that all the cosmetics from CS:GO would carry over to Counter-Strike 2 , increasing the value of all cosmetics and loot boxes listed in the community market as players try to get the rarest weapon skins available in the g

Counter-Strike players have often found creative means of using the game's community map aspect with some CS:GO players recreating popular locations from franchises like The Witcher . Now, a Finnish newspaper called Helsingin Sanomat is using the same feature to share details about the war in Ukraine among Russian gamers owing to the title's popularity within the community. A custom-made map dubbed "de_voyna," a fictionalized Slavic city, was released today that aims to echo some of the cities that have been destroyed over the course of the war. More interestingly, the map contains images and voice recordings captured by the newspaper's journalists on the ground situation, all of which players can interact with in-g

One community-made Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map is seemingly offering Russians an alternative view of the war in Ukraine. While Valve's Counter-Strike has been among the most popular live-service titles to date, the game is currently seeing a notable uptick in interest thanks to the recent reveal that Counter-Strike 2 is officially in the works . Now, it appears one community is looking to leverage this popularity to shed light on the situation in Ukra

Unfortunately, progress on Classic Offensive's Steam release has reached a complete standstill . To explain the situation, the team behind the CS:GO mod recently posted a statement on Twitter, revealing that despite years of effort and compliance with Valve's legal guidelines over the usage of the Counter-Strike IP, Classic Offensive never saw the light of day on Steam. Moreover, the team's communication with Valve apparently ceased in late 2020, and the situation escalated when Classic Offensive was submitted for a build review on October 6, 2024. After weeks of silence, the team received an automated message from Valve declaring that the Steamworks app for Classic Offensive had been retired without explanat

The war in Ukraine continues to make a distinct impact on many industries across the spectrum, including the gaming sector. Over the course of 2022, companies ranging from Take-Two and Ubisoft to Sony have restricted Russia from its services with others like Riot Games, Microsoft, and Epic even going on to raise funds for Ukraine. In one of the latest developments, one community is reportedly utilizing a CS:GO map in an effort to reach the Russian masses to report on the present circumstances of the

Skin gambling has been a regular activity for CS:GO fans , allowing them to bet on their cosmetics in hopes of winning better ones. Various platforms offer these services, with players placing bets on professional matches or joining lotteries using their in-game cosmetics as currency. Valve previously launched legal action against gambling sites that demanded access to the Steam API, automatically loading the users’ inventory to ease the betting process. However, since all CS:GO skin gambling websites don’t use this Steam API, players could still bet on their cosmetics if they wanted

Thankfully, all hope is not lost for Classic Offensive, as the team behind it will try to get back in touch with Valve and "even companies related to Counter-Strike " to get some positive traction for the CS:GO mod. Valve's apparent reluctance to support Classic Offensive is odd, considering it has always welcomed fan-made projects based on Half-Life , Portal , and many of the company's other IPs. One can only hope Valve and the Classic Offensive team can soon resolve their differences, and the nostalgic CS:GO mod eventually sees a proper Steam rele

Steam updated its guidelines for users to add more restrictions regarding online gambling, leaving the future of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin gambling uncertain a few months before the release of its highly anticipated sequel Counter-Strike 2 . These guidelines, gathered under the name "Steam Online Conduct," describes the activities Steam users cannot perform on Valve’s platform, such as posting illegal or inappropriate content, engaging in unlawful activities, or harassing other users. The update to this policy impacts Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players, who are now unsure of the future of their skin gambling activit