Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is off to a particularly good start in 2022. The classic shooter isn’t dying by any means, new stats show.
CSGO was the number one go-to shooter until its popularity took a hit by Valorant’s release in 2020. But after almost 20 years at the helm of the first-person shooter category, the game seemed to be sliding into the background. It was reduced to a “dead game” by the fans who’d moved on to modern FPS titles.
However, recent stats show that CSGO is recovering from the brief slump.
According to Steam Charts, CSGO has seen its most considerable player gain since 2020. In January 2022, about 50,000 unique players logged in to their steam accounts for CSGO.
The online era of play in 2020 had contributed tons to CSGO’s initial dip, and Valorant’s release catalyzed the popularity decline. Consequently, the game lost a massive chunk of its player base, registering the biggest drop in years. In 2021, the total continued to go down for six consecutive months, bringing it to only 763,523 peak players in July 2021.
FPS players were convinced that CSGO is dying, but new stats tell a different tale.
But January’s stats show that the game has started to recover. Following a sustained increase in the number of players heading into 2022, CSGO has now hit 991,625 concurrent players. For the first time in 14 months, 50,000 unique players played CSGO, bringing it closer to the 1 million mark. If the game keeps the same number in the coming months, it won’t be long before CSGO retains its 1 million player count.
Last year’s major helped CS regain some of its composure in 2021. After PGL Stockholm major, a 6% gain was reported as more teams announced CSGO rosters. In 2022, Valve plans on two majors that may breathe some life back to CSGO. It will be a big year for CSGO, and fans should expect it to hit the 1 million mark quickly.
The first major for 2022 has already been announced to take place in Belgium. The second one would likely happen sometime around September. These two tournaments would play a crucial role in bringing CS back to the fore of the FPS genre. So, the current boost is not temporary but likely means that the continuous decline has finally been over.
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