Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, despite being almost nine years old now, is still one of the world's most competitive and beloved FPS games. Incredibly precise gameplay, explosive gunplay, and supported by a huge community, millions have dived into Valve's game over the years, especially when it went free-to-play in 2018.
However, despite its continued success, there has been a sharp drop in players since a more recent change spotted by Dot Esports. To now gain access to CS:GO's Prime matchmaking, players will have to pay a $15 fee. This is an effort to limit the amount of cheating and hacking that players will see in these modes.
Here is the original trailer for Valve's highly successful shooter, Counter-Strike Global Offensive...
The SteamCharts data shows that there has been a 16.75 percent drop in the number of players of CS:GO since June, which is when the change happened. However, the original report notes that the player base has been in decline since February - but it's likely that this most recent drop is attributed to this new shift in payment policy. Some regular players would also have had multiple accounts they'd play on before the charge came into place, but will now only have a main account because of the amount of money required to play in Prime.
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The other worry that Valve might have is that it now has direct competition. Riot's Valorant has been attracting a huge audience of those who want similar mechanics and skills as CS:GO, but with fresher metas, more regular updates, and a friendlier face for new gamers. Though it's not likely that Valorant will kill CS:GO (Riot's League of Legends didn't manage to kill Valve's Dota 2) it may well be attracting some of the playerbase.
For those dedicated to playing CS:GO though, hopefully this payment helps the cheating, smurfing, and hacking that gamers sees in ranked matches. At least then the game will be a less stressful experience overall, even if your bank account takes a bit of a hit.
Featured Image Credit: Valve