Major Counter-Strike Mod Appears to Be Censored by Valve

Overview

Valve has reportedly denied the Steam release of Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive, a mod for CS:GO that aspires to replicate the beloved aesthetics of Counter-Strike 1.6.
Since its inception in 2017, the Classic Offensive mod has tirelessly pursued a Steam release, only to have Valve recently retire its Steamworks application for the mod, without any clear explanation.
Despite their disappointment, the Classic Offensive team remains optimistic about resolving the issues that led to Valve’s decision.

The development of a highly ambitious mod, Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive, which aims to revive the iconic atmosphere of Counter-Strike 1.6, has encountered a significant challenge. After nearly eight years of effort, it appears that Valve has blocked the mod’s release on Steam, leaving both developers and fans feeling disheartened.

Though Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (now known as CS2) is celebrated as one of the premier first-person shooters on PC, numerous aficionados long for the nostalgia of the series’ early days. This strong sense of nostalgia has fueled the creation of the Classic Offensive mod, initiated in 2016. The mod strives to recreate the classic feel of Counter-Strike 1.6 using classic weapons, physics, and sounds—all within the contemporary framework of Valve’s Source engine, utilized in CS:GO. The project has maintained a presence on ModDB for several years, featuring regular updates and strong community support. Remarkably, Classic Offensive successfully navigated Valve’s Steam Greenlight process back in 2017.

Regrettably, the quest for a Steam release for Classic Offensive has stalled. In a recent communication via Twitter, the development team disclosed that despite their compliance with Valve’s legal criteria regarding the use of Counter-Strike’s intellectual property, they received no success in securing a Steam release. Communication with Valve reportedly dwindled after late 2020, but the situation escalated on October 6, 2024, when the team submitted their mod for build review. Following weeks of silence, the developers received an automated notification from Valve stating the retirement of the mod’s Steamworks application, devoid of any explanation.

Valve Allegedly Denies Classic Offensive Mod for CS:GO Near Steam Approval

pic.twitter.com/7Z07uD8Mqq — Classic Offensive (@csco_dev) January 11, 2025

The lack of a response has been likened to a “worse form of a Cease and Desist,”leading the Classic Offensive team to express their frustration over the abrupt cessation of their efforts. Moreover, they pointed out that many employees at Valve were aware of their project, yet no prior indication was given regarding its potential rejection. This ambiguity has prompted the Classic Offensive team to urge other modding teams working with Valve-related intellectual properties to reconsider their distribution plans if they intend to rely solely on Steam.

Counter-Strike Global Offensive Gameplay

Despite these challenges, hope remains for the Classic Offensive team as they plan to reach out to Valve and other companies associated with Counter-Strike to seek a pathway forward. The decision by Valve to block Classic Offensive is perplexing, given the company’s history of supporting fan-created projects within franchises like Half-Life and Portal. Enthusiasts and fans alike eagerly await a resolution between Valve and the Classic Offensive team, wishing for the nostalgic mod to finally be available on Steam.

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