Huge Counter-Strike Mod Seemingly Blocked by Valve

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Summary

  • Valve has purportedly blocked a Steam release for Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive, a mod for CS:GO that aims to faithfully replicate the aesthetic of Counter-Strike 1.6.
  • Classic Offensive has been attempting to secure a Steam release since 2017, but Valve recently retired the CS:GO mod’s Steamworks app (apparently without an explanation).
  • The Classic Offensive team is disheartened by the rejection but remains hopeful to resolve whatever issues Valve may have with the project.

A dedicated modification for the game “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” designed with a strong focus on recapturing the original charm of “Counter-Strike 1.6,” has encountered a significant hurdle. After being in development for approximately eight years, the “Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive” mod for CS:GO appears to have been halted by Valve Corporation, leaving both its creators and supporters disheartened.

While Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (now CS2) is celebrated as one of the top multiplayer first-person shooters on PC, many fans reminisce about the series’ early days, which led to the creation of the team behind the Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive mod. Started in 2016, Classic Offensive aims to rekindle the nostalgic atmosphere of Counter-Strike 1.6 by incorporating classic weapons, physics, sound effects, and so on, all within the updated version of Valve’s Source engine used for CS:GO. The project has been active on ModDB for several years, with consistent updates and backing from the CS:GO modding community. In 2017, Classic Offensive made it through Valve’s Steam Greenlight program.

Sadly, the release of “Classic Offensive” on Steam has come to a halt, according to the team behind it. Despite years of work and adherence to Valve’s legal guidelines regarding the use of the “Counter-Strike” IP, Classic Offensive has yet to be released on Steam. The team’s interactions with Valve appear to have ended in late 2020, and matters worsened when Classic Offensive was submitted for a review on October 6, 2024. After several weeks of silence, the team received an automated message from Valve stating that the Steamworks app for Classic Offensive had been terminated without providing any explanation.

Valve Reportedly Rejects Classic Offensive Mod for CS:GO in Final Stages of Steam Approval

The absence of feedback was compared to a more severe version of a “Cease and Desist,” leaving the Classic Offensive team disheartened by the abrupt stop. Moreover, the developers of the CS:GO mod revealed that numerous Valve employees were privy to the project, yet failed to signal any potential rejection, adding fuel to their dissatisfaction. In light of this, the Classic Offensive team felt it necessary to caution any modding teams working on projects related to Valve, suggesting they should adapt their release strategies if they solely rely on Steam as their main distribution channel.

Fortunately, there’s still a chance for the revival of Classic Offensive. The developers plan to reach out to Valve and companies associated with Counter-Strike, hoping to generate some positive momentum for the CS:GO mod. It’s surprising that Valve seems unresponsive to Classic Offensive, given their history of supporting fan-created projects based on Half-Life, Portal, and numerous other IPs. Here’s to hoping that Valve and the Classic Offensive team can iron out their differences soon, leading to a legitimate Steam release of this nostalgic CS:GO mod.

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2025-01-11 22:13