Valve Announces CS: GO Free Edition with Offline Gameplay Support

Aug. 31, 2018

Valve has announced a free-to-play version of its hit multiplayer first-person shooter game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which has support for offline gameplay. Announced via the release notes for CS:GO dated August 29th, the free version of the game went live later the same day and is currently listed on Steam as‘Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Free Edition’.

The decision to launch a limited version of CS:GO which only lets you play against bots, and that too, on just a solo mission is quite baffling, because the game is known for its immersive multiplayer experience. CS:GO Free Edition won’t let you connect with a public server and join other players in a mission, so basically, you are stuck with shooting bots.

But there are also a couple of silver linings here. The game provides new players an opportunity to try CS:GO and check out its gameplay before they shell out money to buy the full game with online multiplayer support. The game’s free-to-play version is basically equivalent to providing a practice ground for newbies who can hone their skills before they are ready to jump into the battlefield with experienced players from all across the world.