Counter-Strike’s legacy continues to be unprecedented in the video game industry. Since entering the industry as a Half-Life modification in 1999, Counter-Strike has arguably become the world’s most popular tactical FPS (first-person shooter) game.

Other FPS games like Call of Duty, Valorant, and Overwatch are rising into prominence, but nothing comes close to the accolades that Counter-Strike has achieved.

The great thing about Counter-Strike is they’re still developing their product. In 2012, they developed an iteration called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), which has been a staple among FPS gamers since. CSGO is the fourth iteration of the Counter-Strike series, and it still undergoes patches, mods, and updates to provide a better experience to gamers.

CSGO has become so popular that it has also entered professional competitive games. As a result, it is a fixture in the Esports landscape, and professional players worldwide are making a name for themselves. On top of that, betting platforms allow fans to place their bets on their favorite CSGO teams and players: https://thunderpick.io/en/esports/csgo.

Of course, the buck doesn’t stop there. CSGO is still growing by the day, and it’s reaching greater heights yearly. Having said that, let’s look at the interesting CSGO statistics and trends for 2023.

1. CSGO has the Highest Concurrent Players on the Steam platform

Many people view the Counter-Strike series as a dying breed in the video game industry. Valorant, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Dead Island, and Destiny are quickly rising through the FPS ranks, so people might think that Counter-Strike is getting on with age.

However, the reports say otherwise. In fact, SteamDB currently lists CSGO as the game with the most concurrent players on the Steam platform. Concurrent players refer to gamers playing the same game at the same time. As of the time of writing, CSGO has 1,111,931 concurrent players, and its numbers peaked at 1,739,486 concurrent players.

This means people should rethink their perspective of the Counter-Strike series. However, CSGO is still one of the best games out there, FPS or not.

2. Over $100 Million Was Spent on CSGO Cases in March 2023

CSGO gamers are not just playing the game; they are spending a fortune to get ahead of the competition and look good. In the span of one month alone, specifically in March 2023, CSGO players opened a total of 39.5 million cases. CSGO cases are in-game reward cases that offer players new weapons and weapon skins.

With millions of those cases opened, CSGO was able to generate at least $100 million in revenue. Talk about raking in the bucks.

3. European Gamers Make up the Largest CSGO Player Base

CSGO is produced by Valve Corporation, a video game developer based in the United States of America. The game is absolutely popular in the US, but it is actually more prominent in other regions.

It’s actually in Europe that the most extensive CSGO player base is found. In fact, over half (51.31%) of CSGO’s total player base is in Europe.

4. $2.02 Million Represents the Highest Overall Earnings by an Individual CSGO Player

Esports is not just a game — it’s also a means of livelihood for many people. Just ask Peter Rasmussen, also known as “dupreeh” in the Esports landscape. According to Statista, Rasmussen has already raked in $2.02 million in overall earnings as a CSGO player. Andreas Hojsleth ($1.98M), Nicolai Reedtz ($1.92M), Lukas Rossander ($1.83M), and Alexander Kostylev ($1.67) compose the rest of CSGO’s top five earners.

5. CSGO Ranks 5th in the Cumulative Tournament Prize Pool

CSGO doesn’t hold back in offering a lot of money during tournaments. In 2022, CSGO ranked 5th in the cumulative tournament prize pool, giving out a total of $16.11 million in prizes. Ahead of CSGO in this leadership board are Dota 2 ($32.85M), Arena of Valor ($32.73M), PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile ($23.42), and Fortnite ($16.2M).

With the game still ranking among the industry’s most generous titles, there’s no doubt that CSGO will thrive in the future.

6. CSGO is Steam’s Most-Played Game by the Hour

Think otherwise if you feel that Counter-Strike is dropping in popularity. In 2022, Statista listed CSGO as Steam’s most-played game by the hour. CSGO tops other popular games like Dota 2, Lost Ark, PUBG, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Elden Ring in this category.

7. CSGO Ranks Fourth in all-time Twitch Viewers

Twitch has become the world’s most famous live-streaming video platform, especially in the video game industry. This is where fans can watch their favorite gamers play various video games. As of writing, CSGO ranks fourth in all-time views on Twitch, having attracted 24.96 billion viewers.

League of Legends, Fortnite, and Grand Theft Auto V are the games ahead of CSGO in this particular category.