Despite being over two decades around the world, Counter-Strike 1.6 remains extremely popular among gamers. On Steam, the game frequently gathers a concurrent player count over 18,000, which is incredible for a game of its age. But why is CS 1.6 still popular in 2025? We’re going to look at some of the reasons right here, and answer the question for good.
CS 1.6 has low system requirements
One of the biggest reasons that CS 1.6 is popular in 2025 is the game’s low system requirements. The game was released back in 2000, and it looks like it, too. In fact, you’d struggle to find any machine that couldn’t play CS 1.6 online in 2025. It’s one of the big reasons that CS has always been the shooter of choice in many poorer regions – the game is incredibly accessible, and CS 1.6 is no different.
Another factor along these same lines is the fact that Counter-Strike 2 needs a pretty powerful PC to run well. Remember, you can’t play CS:GO normally anymore, so for most players, hopping onto CS 1.6 might be their only option to get their fix.
CS 1.6 has fun Game Modes
If you really want to know why CS 1.6 is so popular nowadays, you only have to look at the variety of fun game modes available. One of the best things about the entire Counter-Strike series has always been its community-made game modes, but CS 1.6 is where it all started. You can use third-party server browsers to play modes such as BHOP, Gun Game, and plenty of others.
This isn’t to say that Counter-Strike 2 doesn’t have custom game modes, but sometimes, you simply can’t compete with the classics.
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug
It’s very easy to forget how popular CS 1.6 was in its heyday. For context, its all-time peak player count on Steam is 319,586, and that was eight years after its release! Back in the day, CS 1.6 was enormous, and those players who enjoyed the game haven’t gone anywhere. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and there’s no doubt that some of the game’s current popularity is down to its older players wanting to jump on and recapture the magic.
Dissatisfaction with CS2
Look, I think CS2 is in a pretty good state at this point. But there’s definitely some sentiment that CS2 is still bad at the moment, even if it feels like it has come on leaps and bounds of late. Many players who are currently dissatisfied with CS2 haven’t suddenly lost their appetite for Counter-Strike as a whole. Playing CS 1.6 allows them to still play the game, while not having to suffer through the growing pains of CS2.
I’ve covered the reasons I think CS 1.6 is still popular in 2025 – do you think I’ve missed any?