For context, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike started as fan-made Half-Life spin-offs that Valve eventually roped into its own official library; fans and mods have always been at the epicenter of Valve’s business model. With how integral the community has been to Half-Life throughout its history, it’s no surprise that the scene is still thriving despite the lack of official content.

At its core, Surf Maps cater to a dedicated "mode" where players don’t shoot each other but instead "surf" around the map at ridiculous speeds. As a result, Surf Maps end up becoming a challenge of navigation and speed - something that proves more difficult than it seems. How exactly could players participate in Surf Maps, tho

"The Half-Life community is one of the most creative and talented gaming communities out there," the founder of LambdaGeneration - who simply goes by "Alex" online - tells me. "Some of the stuff we cover just blows my mind. Whether it’s a group of people spending almost two decades recreating the original game in a modern engine or someone spending three months on a fan film, I am always taken aback by the sheer dedication people have for the series."

Ryona ambles alone down a dark alley. The shadows around her begin to shift and swirl, and from behind her emerges a cacophony of otherworldly cracking, oozing, and groaning. She turns on a dime, with only a kitchen utensil to defend herself , to be greeted with what can only be described as a sentient orifice with writhing limbs haphazardly connected to its bleeding torso. It twitches and seizes like nothing in nat

What has made the map a mainstay for so long is its balance, unique aesthetic, and low learning curve. The map has also gained a bit of a reputation for being a bit of an upset map in the professional scene. This and its age have led to community questioning when the map will inevitably get its revision, but until that day, Mirage surely has a lot more to g

Overpass was first introduced in the Winter Offensive update back on December 18, 2013, as the first Counter-Strike Classic Offensive map created specifically for competitive play. Despite this fact, the map saw many growing pains upon its release and for once it wasn't due to being CT-sided. On release, the map appeared to be very T-sided with pros noting how easy it was to gain map control and execute on to the A bomb s

Some of the sites Alex is talking about were centered around maps, while others focused on larger overhauls. There were also a few that dug into leaks, rumors, and speculation, propping up the fans who were trying to sift through Valve’s silence to find answers.

Before CS:GO players head straight to the Surf Maps , it may help to learn where the concept even came from. All leads point to Reddit user u/mariowned, who apparently invented the concept of "surfing" out of boredom. As u/mariowned, or Charlie Joyce explained in separate Reddit threads , he had a pastime of using the Valve Hammer level editor to create Counter-Strike maps for his friends to play

The Glock-18 is easily one of the most versatile weapons in CS:GO. The semi-automatic firing mode makes it feel like a run-of-the-mill pistol that serves the user well in medium to long-range shooto

However, with this most recent release, it's easy to wonder - where will the series go next? At first blush, it might seem like the games are exhausting their possibilities when it comes to genre. But have no fear! We're here with some salient ideas of how Senran Kagura can tap into the hottest industry trends to bring its unique brand of titillating action to an even broader audience! Let's strip down and get right into

Players take control of their anime teen of choice, then get dropped into 5v5 matches on a variety of claustrophobic maps. While trying to defuse bombs, rescue hostages, and secure tactical areas, the girls will hunt each other down with military-grade weaponry. Upon taking a few slugs from a Type-89 or a face full of SuperNova buckshot, your girl loses an article of clothing and becomes instantly immobilized for the rest of the round. Too many losses, and bam - your skintight clothing is gone, and you've lost the ma

In just one week, the LambdaGeneration social network has amassed 1,000 users - and that number is still growing. This includes fans, creators, developers, and the staff keeping the cogs whirring. The site fills a gap in the Valve community, something in between archaic forums and the more meme-heavy Reddit. There are pages for news, modding, fan art, films, music, and lore, letting you find whatever you want with ease. Otherwise, you can sort by trending, new, and top. There are user profiles, badges, and more, combining the best elements of different social media sites to create a Valve-centric juggernaut.

However, while selecting a server is easy, it’s important to take note of certain considerations when choosing a Surf Server. At its core, most creators provide the difficulty setting of their Surf Map right on the server title, with TIer 1 being the easiest and Tier 5 being the hard