Valve has announced a sequel to its hit team-based online first-person shooter, Counter-Strike, due for release on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam (for PC and Mac) in early 2012.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive features new maps, characters, and weapons, and offers updated versions of classic Counter-Strike content, such as the “de_dust” map. It will include new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.
“Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely mod became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999,” said Doug Lombardi, VP of Marketing at Valve. “For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. [Counter-Strike: Global Offensive] promises to expand on [Counter-Strike‘s] award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac.”
The franchise’s latest release, Counter-Strike: Source, launched in 2004 exclusively for PC. A Mac version was released last year.
Counter-Strike: GO is in development at Valve in cooperation with Seattle-based Hidden Path Entertainment. It will be playable at PAX Prime and at the London Games Festival. It’s official Steam page has gone live. View it here.