CSGO tops Among Us, wins Steam Awards' "Labor of Love" award
Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive won a prize in the 2020 Steam Awards.
The game has been dubbed the 2020 “Labor of Love” winner.
CSGO was nominated in the category of “Labor of Love” alongside a mix of ongoing titles including Among Us, Terraria, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and No Man’s Sky. While other games in the category had the advantage of being fresh and popular among the audience, CSGO’s loyal player base helped the game bag the title.
Despite the challenges thrown its way, Valve’s shooter had a successful year. Despite being released all the way back in 2012, the game hit one million concurrent players for the first time in 2020 and continued to top the charts on Steam, beating out longtime top game Dota 2 and the fizzling PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. CSGO had a new competitor in Riot Games’ Valorant, but the game powered through kept breaking record.
2020 was a strong year for CSGO, with the highlight being the continuation of Operation Shattered Web in the early part of the year and
Operation Broken Fang‘s launch last month. Though Valve has historically neglected its enduring FPS, the company’s handling of CSGO in 2020 warranted the “labor of love” label.
“This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the debut of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation,”
the description reads.
Steam Awards break records for most nomination entries
The Steam Awards take place annually and include interesting titles and awards for the games available on Steam. In 2020, Steam had over
40,000 game titles, with only a few making the list. The Steam Awards included 10 categories with five nominees each.
2020 was an excellent year for Steam as more than five million players cast over 30 million nominations, setting a
new record. CSGO was one of the few games that made the cut. Other noticeable winners included Apex Legends, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, winning “best game you suck at” and “better with friends” awards, respectively. Red Dead Redemption 2 dominated the results, taking two titles of “outstanding story-rich game” and “Game of the year” awards.
Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
Team Vitality vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
We have a clash of titans in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall consolidation final, as Team Vitality will take on FURIA for a grand final spot. Both teams have shown signs of shakiness throughout the event, so expect some scrappy Counter-Strike. Here are our Team Vitality vs FURIA predictions. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs – Lower Bracket Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...
Counter-Strike
MOUZ vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
MOUZ are set to take on FURIA in a do-or-die match in the $500,000 StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 lower bracket. Both teams have already suffered losses at the event, but we believe one team is in much better shape than the other. Here are our MOUZ vs FURIA predictions for September 19. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: MOUZ ...
Counter-Strike
StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026: Teams, format, schedule, and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Top-tier Counter-Strike is back on the menu with StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. It’s not a 16-team tournament with every top team in attendance, but it’s still bound to entertain us for a solid four days. Here’s everything you need to know about StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. Tier 1 Counter-Strike lands in Spain again for the first time in a while, with only eight teams in attendance. StarLadder StarSeries will be ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
