It’s a special day for fans of the iconic tactical first-person shooter Counter-Strike, but the game’s massive player base is really hoping that Valve didn’t forget to get them a gift.
Today marks the Counter-Strike‘s 25th birthday, as the game first became available to play as a public beta on June 19, 1999. While the game officially released on Nov. 8, 2000, coinciding with the birth of future prodigy ZywOo, Counter-Strike began to rise in popularity during its beta phase, laying the foundation for a global FPS dynasty.
On the game’s very populous subreddit, several players have been reminiscing about the game’s early beta days, and many are hoping that Valve doesn’t forget and does something to commemorate the date. Valve has celebrated major milestones in the past, like when they released the CS20 case and sticker capsule in 2019 to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary.
The 25th anniversary has raised some Counter-Strike fans’ hopes, considering that Valve has gone above and beyond for the same milestone for other games. In November 2023, Valve surprised fans with the original Half-Life 25th anniversary update, adding new bug fixes, updates, and content that included multiplayer maps and Steam Deck compatibility. A behind-the-scenes documentary from Secret Tape also accompanied the new update.
While some players are a little disappointed not to see anything celebrating Counter-Strike‘s 25th anniversary yet, there’s still time left in the day. Valve has frequently waited until the end of the day to release major updates or announcements for Counter-Strike and could be saving a surprise until later.
It’s very wishful thinking, but a surprise operation release isn’t completely off the table following a post from a well-established leaker that says it could be coming soon.
