The game pits two teams against each other: the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other while also completing separate objectives. The Terrorists, depending on the game mode, must either plant the bomb or defend the hostages, while the Counter-Terrorists must either prevent the bomb from being planted, defuse the bomb, or rescue the hostages. There are nine game modes, all of which have distinct characteristics specific to that mode. The game also has matchmaking support that allows players to play on dedicated Valve servers, as well as allowing members of the community to host their own servers with custom maps and game modes. A battle-royale game-mode, “Danger Zone”, was introduced in 2018.

Global Offensive received positive reviews from critics on release, who praised for its gameplay and faithfulness to predecessors, though it was criticized for some of its early features and was noted for differences between the console and PC versions. Since its release, it has drawn in an estimated 11 million players per month, and has gathered an active competitive scene, with many tournaments sponsored by Valve themselves. In December 2018, Valve transitioned the game to a free-to-play model, focusing on revenue from cosmetic items.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Developer(s)	Hidden Path Entertainment Valve Corporation
Publisher(s)	Valve Corporation
Composer(s)	Mike Morasky
Series	Counter-Strike
Engine	Source
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows OS X PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Linux
Release	August 21, 2012
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Multiplayer