Yes. CS:GO didn’t disappear when Counter-Strike 2 came out. It’s still on Steam as its own free game, separate from CS2, and you can play ranked CS:GO matches right now on CSGO Matchmaking.
What happened to CS:GO?
In September 2023 Valve replaced CS:GO with Counter-Strike 2. CS2 took over the old store page, official CS:GO matchmaking was switched off, and for a while the only way back was a hidden beta branch.
Today CS:GO has its own separate listing on Steam. It installs next to CS2 without touching it, and it’s the version our servers run.
How to install CS:GO
- Open the CS:GO page on the Steam Store and log in to Steam if asked.
- Click Install Game. Steam adds CS:GO to your library as its own game.
- Launch it once so it finishes setting up. That’s it.
Skip the old
csgo_legacy beta branch. It doesn’t work with our servers. Install the separate CS:GO game from the link above instead.What’s different from CS2?
- The classic feel. Tick-based movement and shooting, the old smokes, the old maps, the CS:GO HUD and sounds.
- No official matchmaking. Valve doesn’t run ranked CS:GO any more. Communities and platforms do.
- Your Steam inventory doesn’t carry over in game. On CSGO Matchmaking you get your own skins instead, and they work on our servers.
Where can you play ranked CS:GO?
That’s what we built CSGO Matchmaking for. Link your Steam account, queue up, and play:
- Ranked 5v5, 2v2 and 1v1 on our own servers, with a rating that goes up and down with your results.
- Match rooms with map veto. Teams ban maps in turns, one team picks the map and the other picks its starting side. No knife round.
- The weekly Cash Ladder with three divisions and real prizes.
- Skins that work in game. Open cases, buy from the Market or trade up, then equip knives, gloves and finishes for T and CT. They show up on our servers with their exact float and pattern.
- A free deathmatch server to warm up, where every kill refills your health and ammo.
Quick answers
- Is CS:GO free?
- Yes. The game is free on Steam, and so is a CSGO Matchmaking account. Premium is optional.
- Do I need to uninstall CS2?
- No. CS:GO is a separate game, so both can be installed at once.
- Is it safe to play?
- Every account is checked when it links Steam, our servers run anti-cheat, and staff review reported players.