- A frozen version of CS:GO will still be available on the platform
- However, it will not retain some features, such as official matchmaking
- Players with specific technical difficulties with CS2 are eligible for Prime Status refund
CS:GO will remain on Steam in a frozen version, but it will lack some features and its support will officially be stopped on January 1, 2024.
The Older Game Will Still Be Available
Counter-Strike 2 has been out for a couple of weeks now, but the game still has some teething issues. In what seems to have become a staple for modern game studios, they often release a product with a number of problems, which have to be ironed out in subsequent patches.
CS2 is no exception, as the game recently received an update that fixed a bug regarding an exploit of buying armor and then refunding it, which has been present since the beta days. The patch also fixed some hitbox alignment issues. However, the update also came with some news regarding the previous version of the game – CS:GO.
Since Counter-Strike is a direct update and overhaul of CS:GO, it remained unclear for a long time if the older version of the game would be available to play after September 27, the day that CS2 was launched. However, it’s now become clear that CS:GO will remain available even after support stops on January 1, 2024.
“After January 1, 2024 the game will still be available, but certain functionality that relies on compatibility with the Game Coordinator (e.g., access to inventory) may degrade and/or fail,” Valve’s statement on the matter reads. It should also be noted that this so-called legacy version of CS:GO is a frozen build of CS:GO and it will not feature official matchmaking.
Who Is Eligible for Prime Status Refund?
Valve’s reason for eventually leaving CS:GO support is a technological one. “As technology advances, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue support for older hardware, including DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems. Similarly, we will no longer support macOS. Combined, these represented less than one percent of active CS:GO players,” the statement further reads.
What this means is that some players may not be able to play CS2 on their current hardware. This is a problem because some have purchased Prime Status, but they cannot utilize it due to technical issues. However, Valve is offering a refund for these affected players.
DirectX 9 and/or 32-bit Windows users, as well as macOS users, are eligible for a refund if they had acquired Prime between the announcement of the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test (March 22, 2023) and the launch of Counter-Strike 2 (September 27, 2023). MacOS users are also eligible for a refund if most of their CS:GO playtime was on macOS and they played during the same period, regardless of when they purchased their Prime Status Upgrade.
It should be noted that CD keys, gifts, and accounts with bans are not eligible for a refund. Players who want a refund should also do so before December 1, 2023.
