Why is Counter Strike 2 So Popular?
Although the Counter-Strike franchise was launched in 1999, it developed into a leading shooter supporting a multi-million audience each month. The fresh version, Counter-Strike 2, was released in 2023 and is already the top-listed esports game. So, let’s find out what was the key to CS2 popularity!
6 Reasons Why Counter Strike Is So Popular
Is CS2 still popular? Let’s find out and make it clear what makes the game a leading brand in the industry.
For live match updates, the CS2 live score provides real-time game progress and statistics.
1. Action-Packed Gameplay
Following Statista’s research from 2022, shooters are the most popular video game genre. This partially explains why is CS2 is so popular. The game is all about killing or being killed. You have many weapons and strategies to choose from. Whether you are a lurking sniper or a rushing entry fragger, there’s a style for all.
2. Free-to-Play Model
Did you know that Counter-Strike has cost about $15 for six years since its release? Valve decided to encourage more gamers to get into the game by making it free in 2018, which helped the company access a larger community. However, they did introduce paid Operation passes for $15 each as an alternative.
3. Frequent Updates
Although Counter-Stike’s release year was in the previous millennia, the developers update the game almost weekly to improve stability and eliminate bugs. And, of course, don’t forget about the release of a whole new version of the game recently, which improved a bunch of stuff. Some major updates, like the Operations, are added every half a year while providing enough content to keep people engaged. Sure, as of now, we haven’t seen any new operations in CS2, but it’s probably only a matter of time before they’ll be added.
4. Enormous Community
According to the data provided by ActivePlayer.io, there were 5 million average monthly players in June 2024. This means that you can hop into a match immediately, as there is always a queue of people waiting for some action.
Additionally, the community frequently adds something new to the game. People develop custom skins, maps, and even mods. This also led to the creation of new game modes like parkour or adventure maps. Having such a wide variety of in-game activities will definitely keep you online for a long time.
In turn, the gameplay isn’t too complicated. It’s rather straightforward and intuitive, making learning accessible to nearly everyone, which also keeps the community growing.
5. Trading & Earning
Valve threw a mix of 37 skin collections to the game, including thousands of unique designs for all kinds of weapons and tools. Unlike many other games, these skins may be traded and used to earn real money outside the game.
For example, in our previous article, we mentioned some of the most expensive skins, like the Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore for $491,000 or the Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box for $56,000. Some people even make their living while having fun playing in a team.
6. Cybersport
Still not convinced, why is Counter Strike 2 so popular? Probably the most important reason is its leading position in the esports CS2 teams industry. It had a cumulative prize pool of over $15 million in 2023. Many tournaments also had almost 3 million viewers in 2021, showing that people are extremely interested in the game.
It’s also a great betting field. The audience is willing to wager thousands of dollars on their favorite teams, with a chance of earning much more if their guesses are right. This adds to the large community and possible earnings points.
WILL CS2 POPULARITY RISE OR FALL?
We hope you get your answer to the question, “Why is CS2 popular?” And while there are different opinions, it is generally believed that Counter-Strike will become even more well-known in the future. Steamcharts shows a 15.39% and 10.87% gain in January and February 2023. If you look at all the data from this resource, you’ll see that the numbers are only growing each month. That’s why we think the game will only become even more popular.
However, there are some risks to consider:
- Cheating: The free-to-play model allows people to register multiple accounts at no additional costs. Therefore, even if they get VAC-banned (permanently banned on account), they’ll just create a new account and keep on using cheats. This might frustrate some players, especially new ones, and make them look for other games.
- New FPS games: Some people get tired from monotonous activities, so releases like PUBG can steal a fair share of the audience. However, as practice shows, these people still return to CS after a while.
Valve probably has a deep understanding of these reasons and has already prepared a long-term strategy to cope with them. All we have to do is enjoy the game and wait for future updates.
