For a game that’s now six years old, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive isn’t exactly hurting for players – this past month, it had an average of more than a quarter million people logged on at any given time. But all the same, Valve is now offering a free, offline edition of the massively-popular team-based shooter, which you can download now.
The free edition came this week with the latest patch, which also enables CS:GO’s long-anticipated new Panorama UI by default for all players. The free version is offline only, so you can use it to practice against bots, and it’s definitely a great way to learn Counter-Strike’s maps and mechanics before heading into the shark-infested waters of online competitive play. All online features, however, are restricted to the full edition, which runs at $14.99 USD.
The free edition, however, also allows you spectate games via GOTV, since Counter-Strike also works as a client for watching matches. The timing is just right to get new players interested in the FACEIT Major tournament, which kicks off this Wednesday in London and boasts a $1 million prize pool.
The free version of CS:GO only gives you access to offline play against bots and spectator mode, so in order to earn any sweet tournament loot drops, you’ll have to pony up for the full version.