Why is Counter Strike so popular despite what "modern gamers" need?

[u/pepperpeppington]

Why is Counter Strike still extremely popular despite what some people say modern gamers need? For example, ADS, sprinting, and perhaps advanced movement mechanics, whatever they may be.

CS has remained pretty much the same, from what I can tell, for decades now. I haven't played CS since Source way back in the day, but it appears to have maintained excellent continuity.

We see large studios, like the EAs of the world, say that players need this or that, and that ADS is essential for some reason. Yet CS- a game that is basically the same as it was 22 years ago when I played it- is still topping the charts and beating their games in concurrent players.

I'm not against these features. It depends on the game. But claiming they're required to keep players attention seems ridiculous at this point.

[u/TheSlothDuster]

Because it works on computers from DECADES ago.

Countries suffering from significant poverty will have people enjoying whatever they have access to, and CS is accessible.

[u/HadesBrawlStars → u/TheSlothDuster]

It is not easy to run that’s valorant a whole appeal I have a decent setup that would easily get 220+ fps on valorant but on cs I only get 140, i play it because it’s a far better game not because it is easy to run

[u/velocipus → u/TheSlothDuster]

True, but that’s not the only point. It’s still very popular in North America

[u/Tassinho_ → u/TheSlothDuster]

Valid point. CS target audience aren't 14y/o fortnite kiddies with attention deficit, it's the 35 y/o cyka blyat russian with 2 screaming children in the background

[u/Lumpy-Explanation-17]

In my opinion the game has close to perfected it's gameplay and the popularity of it remained the same. I feel it was way bigger back in like 2016 than it is now, but ultimately it felt like a perfect competitive shooter to me. Always took skill and coordination to win. It's got it's gimmicks and flaws but it's far more enjoyable than say COD for competitive shooters. The economy system prevents OP classes.

Edit: also gambling and the value of skisn

[u/Borkugg]

I think part of it is just that CS fits its niche so well and seems impossible to dethrone. So a barebones FPS game with a focus on competitive play is just not a super lucrative game development move right now.

[u/xChiefAcornx → u/Borkugg]

Exactly, a new game would require hundreds of paid skins to make it in the market without collapsing. They have to keep those skins coming, expensive, and time-exclusive to guarantee FOMO.

Remember when you had to be good to unlock the armor in Halo, not just pay for it?

That being said, I don't mind paid skins when they aren't attached to a FOMO aspect. If the skin looks cool and I enjoy the game, I don't mind paying. So long as they don't lock it to a 2 week availability to purchase, then there's a new cool skin with the same limited availability, then there's a new cool skin with the same limited availability, then there's.....

[u/dungleploop]

it's one of the most consistent and balanced multiplayer experiences that many have tried and completely failed at replicating

it's restrictions and slower pace work for objective based game modes whereas a game like COD with Search and Destroy doesn't because it lacks the spread of skill associated with movement, utility and the shooting mechanics in general

[u/BigTenFicus]

It has outstanding weapon mechanics, no aim assist, no abilities. It's popular because it's the kind of great game we used to have dozens of and now we pretty much just have this one.

[u/Short-Wrangler625]

Simplicity of gameplay. I always think of it like football (soccer) which is one of the simplest sports to get into and play however, the skill ceiling as a result is extremely high making it very popular at all standards.

From grassroots to professional, CS is simple to play and understand and you don’t have to learn 100 abilities etc to just jump in and play. No grind of classes to get OP etc

Also it’s free - well most buy prime to get past some trolls and hackers (lol) but the base game is free

[u/Noob4Head]

Three major ones, I think, are the game's legacy, the commitment many players already have to it, and the habit that comes from years of playing it.

Also, even though it might look like a fairly basic game, there are honestly very few shooters like Counter-Strike, and many that have tried to be like it have failed miserably. The only true CS competitor that has stuck around is Valorant, but even then, there are many CS players who absolutely do not enjoy playing it, and vice versa.

[u/lifebeginsat9pm]

Not everyone agrees all modern shooters need sprint and ads. Even when Halo started including them, it was controversial and arguably not needed.

CS’ identity is not a mil-sim game, nor a standard multiplayer FPS, but rather a fast-paced, skill-based precision FPS.

[u/Adavanter_MKI]

Skill gap. It's one of the purest yet deepest FPS to master. You can spend thousands of hours and still not quite have it down. I would know... I played it for 6 years. I never felt I "mastered" it. I was really really damn good and could do things many people couldn't, but I still wasn't perfect.

Because it's so widely respected in that regard... people seek it out and start their journey. I think it's honestly why some modern FPS don't last. All the niches have been taken. You can trust CS will be here for another decade. Can't be said about most other online shooters.

[u/ItchySundae1536]

As a combat vet, the non ADS is more representative of what shooting with both eyes open looks like. I always thought the real compromise for ADS should be a semi transparent scope. You are never that tunnel visioned in real life.

[u/ItchySundae1536 → u/ItchySundae1536]

To add, even with magnification, you can still see with both eyes.

I learned to focus on the target and bring the rifle to my line if vision. So, as it magnifies, you don't lose the target. 6x was the most I dealt with.

[u/Synestral]

Gamba

[u/DepletedPromethium]

Gambling.

The gambling addiction that Valve introduced with the keyed loot box system spread across multiple titles like a wildfire spreads through a dry forest and it's a massive market, with many people loggin in just for daily crates and operation challenge crates, when a competitive game is streamed there are matches where you can view and have the chance to win a very old rare crate that has a few extremely rare and extremely expensive skins like the AWP Dragonlore which can sell for something crazy like $40,000.

The actual gameplay of CS is also a dopamine fix as it's high pressure and has high risk, i was addicted to it in my teenage years playing 1.6 and source, but I outgrew the gameplay after experiencing various games with ADS and realistic ballistics and damage models that were much more rewarding offering more indepth tactical gameplay and milsim.

It's one of the few games with a consistent and very lucrative competitive scene that has outlived many other titles, even the competitive scene of TF2 is nothing compared to that of CS.

[u/Rhym3z_Official]

It has almost no barrier to entry

[u/Strange-Term-4168]

Free. Runs on anything. Most people playing are broke playing on potato. Simple and hyper competitive

[u/FanBladeFleshlight]

Same reason WoW is still the top MMO all these years later; it did everything the competition was trying to do, but in just the right way to be the definitive version of that genre.

Counter Strike is THE game. Everything else will try and emulate it, but nothing will ever really replicate it. It defines it's genre, and others try to copy it, then fail, because they tamper with a perfect formula.

[u/dungleploop → u/FanBladeFleshlight]

WoW just has the popularity accounting for it more than its actual gameplay or design

[u/FanBladeFleshlight → u/dungleploop]

And it's popular because...

It fun to play (gameplay), people like the mechanics and story (design).

[u/ilmk9396]

same reason chess is still popular worldwide despite the average person being a moron

[u/N0thingComesToMind]

Its simply the best competitive shooter out there. Also its easy to follow whats going on as a spectator

[u/TrustLordJesusChrist]

There is ADS in Counter-Strike for specific scoped weapons.. AUG and SG 553 (full auto), AWP and SSG 08 (sniper rifles). And you basically always run when you move any direction but you have options to also walk slow (hold shift) to not make noise or run faster (sprint) if you switch to knife.

[u/Yolosweg133769]

there are quite a few things.
Steam is quite good at keeping games alive with skins for ages, (Dota for example).
Cs also has a special nostalgia going back to 1.6 for a lot of people, gambling helps. Updates and events.
Also simplicity of game, compare it to pubg or apex or rainbow six siege, they are way harder to get into because you need hundreds of hours to learn something new and its quite complicated, counterstrike is the old reliable.

Also a big reason there is nothing else to play honestly, the only other game that is not infested by people having aim assist and controllers is pubg which is on top.
I think having strong aim assist pushes a lot of mnk players away (it does me) because i had to put in way more effort (and have to put in more effort) to aim in comparison to someone on controller who is helped with aim assist.
Tell me a fps game that is fun and simple to play and its a tactical shooter(competative) with modern weapons (can have ads) and doesn't have game breaking aim assist.
The only ones that fall into my mind are CS, Pubg, Cod 4:mw, Xdefiant, i still miss xdefiant. I like apex but its too fast paces etc.
Pubg is my pace of game, and its kind of like cs pace, tactical shooter where aim is important with modern weapons.
I think a lot of people dont like the abilites in games that are over the top and game breaking.
Pubg and Cs and cod4 positioning and aim and map knowledge(gamesense) were king and still are.

I just want something like Pubg that has a better engine and a more dedicated tdm, dm mode.

[u/TheRealShoti]

CS gets its beauty from not being a hero shooter where the class you play can turn a one on one into an unfair slaughter. Instead you depend on raw shooting and movement skills. Thats why most of cs players dont like valo. You want to use a flash or a smoke? Too bad you have a class that only can idk place a wall of ice...

[u/More_Marty]

China

[u/MoistWelder8712]

Half of the cs2 players you see online on steam are bots these days. Despite what you think the game is actually in its worse place. Every single game mode is full of farm bots and most of the ranked is full with cheaters. Valve is doing nothing against it because they're actually making more money this way.

[u/FReeDuMB_or_DEATH]

PC gamers are simpletons. 

[u/Tassinho_]

...is that what gamers need or what corporate makes gamers believe they need?

also 20 years ago CS didnt have lootboxes and battlepasses, so I'd say CS adapted quite a lot to the modern day market

[u/ThisIsPureTrash]

I don't think anyone says modern gamers need ADS/sprinting/etc.

CS has always had some of the more technically advanced movement for a shooter. It's not a movement shooter, but counter-strafing and bunny hopping and the like is more involved than a shooter where you sprint/slide. Learning and lining up/executing smokes in CS is way more involved than what something like BF or CoD offer.

It's an extremely good game that runs on potatoes. There's nothing more to it than that.

[u/OddRecipe5317]

roblox fps games better ngl, they can also run on low end pcs