Csgo — Event Schedule: Dates, Schedule and Tournament Stages
CS:GO release date
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, usually shortened to CS:GO, officially released on 21 August 2012. That is the date to use when distinguishing Global Offensive from both earlier Counter-Strike games and its later successor, Counter-Strike 2.
The date matters because “Counter-Strike” can refer to a long-running series rather than one specific release. CS:GO was the Global Offensive entry: a separate game with its own launch timetable, beginning in August 2012. It remained the relevant historical title until Counter-Strike 2 replaced Global Offensive in September 2023.
For a quick answer, then: the CS:GO release date was 21 August 2012. The original rollout covered several major PC and console platforms on that day, although not every platform arrived at the same time. Linux support followed later, so a platform-specific release date can differ from the overall CS:GO launch date.
That distinction is useful when checking an old announcement, a player’s platform history, or a game database entry. The broad release date is 21 August 2012; the individual platform timeline adds the necessary detail.
Original launch platforms and timing
CS:GO’s first release was spread across desktop and console platforms. Windows, OS X, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 all received the game on 21 August 2012. Linux was not part of that first-day group, arriving more than two years later on 23 September 2014.
- 21 August 2012: CS:GO launched on Windows.
- 21 August 2012: OS X received the game on the same date.
- 21 August 2012: The Xbox 360 version launched.
- 21 August 2012: The PlayStation 3 version launched.
- 23 September 2014: CS:GO launched on Linux.
So the answer depends slightly on how the question is framed. If the question is when CS:GO released generally, 21 August 2012 is correct. If it concerns Linux specifically, the relevant date is 23 September 2014. The initial release was therefore broad, but it was not simultaneous across every platform associated with the game.
The console entries are also part of the original launch record, rather than later ports. Windows and OS X arrived alongside Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on the official release date, while Linux represents the later addition to the timeline.
What changed with Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 was publicly released on 27 September 2023, and it replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on that date. This is why a search for CS:GO can now lead readers to Counter-Strike 2: the newer game is the successor in the series’ public release history.
The replacement does not change CS:GO’s historical release date. Global Offensive remains the 2012 game, while Counter-Strike 2 marks the 2023 transition point. Keeping those two dates separate avoids treating the newer release as though it were an update to CS:GO’s original launch.
Whether CS:GO is currently available as a separate download, purchase or playable version requires a current store or official-status check; the replacement announcement alone does not settle that question. The confirmed timeline is straightforward: CS:GO released on 21 August 2012, and Counter-Strike 2 replaced it on 27 September 2023.
