Counter-Strike: Global Offensive once again broke the all-time peak player count, reaching a staggering 1,818,773 concurrent users, According to SteamDB. This is an increase of about 300,000 players since the previous record set in March, when the game reached 1,519,457 concurrent players following the announcement of Counter-Strike 2.
It is likely that many factors have contributed to this rise in the number of players. The recent CS:GO Major event, which took place in Paris from May 8th to May 21st, brought players back into the game with tie-breaker rewards. Valve has added the usual Pick’Em Challenge, where players can attempt to predict Major’s outcomes and earn prizes based on the accuracy of their guesses. The rarity of the rewards increases with the accuracy of the predictions.
In addition, new cosmetics have arrived, including stickers with the logos of each participating team and the signature of each player competing in the Major. These stickers can be applied to any weapon, and collectors can purchase player specific stickers in the Steam Community Market. some of those Labels retail for over $40.
This year’s Paris Major will be the only main event of 2023 and the last event played in CS:GO, with the first main event in Counter-Strike 2 scheduled for March 2024. As a result, many players will likely try to make the most of Take advantage of the final CS: GO Major and associated rewards.
Counter-Strike 2 is currently undergoing limited testing for a select group of players. Valve described the sequel as “an overhaul of every system, every piece of content, every part of the CS experience,” and it even includes a Half-Life reference.
With the release of Counter-Strike 2 on the horizon, it remains to be seen how this will affect the CS:GO player base, but for now, the game continues to attract record numbers of players.
