Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the oldest FPS games out there. Still, it’s going strong with a solid player count in 2023.
The FPS industry is saturated with new titles that get popular quickly but lose relevance after a year or so. However, in a herd of fads, CSGO is one game that has remained popular for over a decade. In 2023, the game has a massive fanbase that has stayed loyal since its official launch in 2012.
Valve’s labor of love
is going strong despite tough competition. Besides a well-established esports ecosystem, the game has over a million active players to its name.
How many people play CSGO in 2023?
According to
Steam Charts, about 1,199,684 people played CSGO in January 2023.
Like any multiplayer game, CSGO has its ups and downs regarding player count. 2022 and 2021 weren’t CSGO’s best years, as a significant slump was registered. After hitting 1 million in 2020, the game dropped in player count, losing about 16% of its players. Consecutively for five months, the count went down without any notable gain. This was alarming for Valve, but as per, the developer didn’t intervene.
However, CSGO has once again acquired the top spot on Steam without any special update or event. In January 2023, CSGO gained 15% of players, hitting the 1 million milestone once again. Upcoming events and operations will only add to the booming player count, hinting at a bright future for Valve’s iconic FPS game.
What’s more surprising is that this peak isn’t a by-product of any big LAN event or operation whatsoever. Instead, the game organically achieved its highest peak. Even though December is generally considered a gaming downtime, dedicated players seem to have found their way to CSGO during the holidays, ultimately making it a hit game in January 2023.
The new stats set an excellent foundation for 2023 as Valve prepares to roll out a new operation. If this player count persists without any notable updates, CSGO may even hit an all-time peak in 2023. Who knows — the numbers may convince Valve to release the highly-awaited Source 2 port finally.
Is CSGO still popular?
CSGO is easily one of the most popular 5v5 FPS games in 2023. Besides a stellar player count, CSGO reps a spot on Twitch’s most-watched games alongside Valorant, GTA, and League of Legends.
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.
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