Father of All Live Service Games That Still Boasts a Whopping 900,000 Daily Player Base Started Out as a Shelved Half-Life Mod

In recent years, Live Service games have become the go-to model for most studios. This model offers free-to-play experiences and rakes in revenue through microtransactions and in-game purchases. It allows players to enjoy endless updates and fresh content while also keeping studios profitable.

And if we’re talking about live-service games, we simply can’t ignore Counter-Strike, the title that started it all and set the bar high. While gamers enjoy the CS and its competitiveness, they might not know that it started out as a simple mod for Half-Life, until Valve finally took notice.

In 1999, Minh Le, a student and amateur developer, and Jess Cliffe, a level designer decided to work together and create a mod for Half-Life. Their vision was simple: to create a multiplayer experience where players could compete as either terrorists or counter-terrorists in a series of fast-paced missions.

At its heart, the mod aimed to combine the intense action of a first-person shooter with strategic, team-based gameplay, which was rare for its time. Despite its massive popularity in the modding community, Counter-Strike initially had no official backing.

The reason was simple: Not only it was just a passionate project of students but at the time, the concept was very new. However, upon its release, the mod gained immense traction from players, thanks to its addictive gameplay and tight mechanics.

TIL “Counter-Strike” the game started as a mod for Half-Life. The mod was originally developed in 1999, before Valve hired the developers, acquiring the IP rights and releasing the game as a separate franchise in 2000.
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In 2000, it finally caught the eye of the developers of Valve, who hired Le and Cliffe, securing the rights to Counter-Strike and turning it into a standalone title. This marked the birth of one of the most successful franchises in gaming history.

At the time of its release, the game laid the foundation for what we now know as the “live-service” game model, where there are ongoing updates, community-driven content, and new seasonal events that keep players engaged for a long time.

As Valve continued to refine the game over the years by adding new maps, weapons, and game modes, CS found its place in the esports scene as well. Competitive play became a major part of the game’s identity, and tournaments began to draw in millions of viewers worldwide.

Even today in 2025, CS continues to be one of the most popular online multiplayer games, boasting a player base of over 900,000 daily active users. This popularity is thanks to the developer’s commitment. Recently, it released the game’s latest iteration: Counter-Strike 2 with better graphics and internal changes.

In many ways, it was the prototype for the modern live service game, and given its success over the years, it has proven that a well-designed, constantly evolving game can keep players engaged for years, even decades.

In the end, from its humble beginning as a mod for Half-Life to earning its title as the “father of all live-service games,” it has redefined the landscape of online gaming and created a legacy that continues to influence the gaming industry to this day.