Is CS2 More Popular Than CS:GO?

The Counter-Strike scene is still divided about the current state of CS2. The successor of CS:GO has been underwhelming for some. Many believe it didn’t live up to the hype after its initial release. Some of them, like NiKo and ropz, have voiced their concerns in their own interviews for BLAST.tv. The main concern for them is that Valve isn’t updating the game often enough. Because of this, it may seem that their focus is somewhere else—Deadlock, perhaps?

It has been a year since CS2 came out, and now we have some data to compare the game's popularity to that of CS:GO. Although more data would be needed for a detailed analysis, we’ll use what we have available to at least see the trends.

How Many Players Are Playing CS2 vs. CS:GO?

CS2 was released on the 27th of September 2023. For the first nine months of that year, CS:GO averaged around 920,000 monthly active players. The highest peak during that time was 1,802,853 in May, due to the BLAST.tv Paris Major. It’s common to see the game's popularity rise during the biggest competitions, no matter which game we’re talking about. To put it into perspective, Dota 2 averaged 440,000 monthly active players during the same period.

After the release of CS2, numbers have fallen a bit, averaging just under 850,000 active players each month. It’s a noticeable drop of 7.6%. The peak is also significantly lower than that of CS:GO. The most players ever played CS2 in April 2024—1,618,685, almost 200,000 players less. This peak happened right after the first-ever CS2 major, the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, finished in March. Not even the hype around the new game, nor the first major, managed to surpass CS:GO.

How Many People Watch CS2 Tournaments vs. CS:GO?

Maybe the tournament viewership tells a different story. We compared some of the biggest tournaments in CS:GO in 2023 to their counterparts in 2024 using Esports Charts.

Tournament comparison is a bit tricky since it depends on a lot of factors like marketing, promotions, and so on. It also depends on the format and the competition itself. More close and exciting games attract more viewers. Teams also play their part; popular players competing always result in better viewership.

IEM Katowice

IEM Katowice 23

PEAK VIEWERS: 726,820

AVG. VIEWERS: 235,612

HOURS WATCHED: 23,502,236

AIR TIME: 99h 45m

IEM Katowice 24

PEAK VIEWERS: 972,312

AVG. VIEWERS: 287,710

HOURS WATCHED: 24,575,159

AIR TIME: 85h 25m

Despite less air time, IEM Katowice 2024 with CS2 had overall better viewership metrics in every category. Katowice is traditionally played early in the year. It was only 3-4 months after CS2’s release that we got to see the best teams battle it out in Poland. Maybe the hype around the new game was still going strong for that tournament.

IEM Cologne

IEM Cologne 23

PEAK VIEWERS: 727,415

AVG. VIEWERS: 291,747

HOURS WATCHED: 29,515,039

AIR TIME: 101h 10m

IEM Cologne 24

PEAK VIEWERS: 1,051,810

AVG. VIEWERS: 277,447

HOURS WATCHED: 25,525,113

AIR TIME: 92h

IEM Cologne is played in August, later in the year. Although IEM Cologne 2024 with CS2 had a much higher peak viewership, the hours watched were much lower because the average viewers were higher during longer air times.

BLAST Paris vs PGL Copenhagen

BLAST Paris

PEAK VIEWERS: 1,528,724

AVG. VIEWERS: 507,688

HOURS WATCHED: 58,891,766

AIR TIME: 116h

PGL Copenhagen

PEAK VIEWERS: 1,853,954

AVG. VIEWERS: 552,331

HOURS WATCHED: 58,270,868

AIR TIME: 105h

The two majors were played in the spring. Both had similar hours watched, but the peak and average viewers were on the side of PGL. Of course, it was the first CS2 major ever, which contributed to better viewership. It seems that in its first year, CS2 tournaments had slightly better viewership, with more people tuning in during the key moments. Is it enough for a new game that has everything already prepared to achieve greatness? I’m not sure.

There are also other details we should take into consideration. S1mple, the best player to ever play the game, has not been competing for most of the CS2 era. His rivalry with ZywOo, the race for the first major trophy, and similar storylines shaped CS:GO viewership and popularity, and they still do. New stories are being told in CS2, with new players getting the spotlight. It will take time for them to create a great following like the GOAT himself.

CS2 is not more popular than CS:GO. Not even with the hype around the new game. But it’s not a new game; it’s a new version of the same game that people have played for more than a decade. Every time you force a change on something people love, there will be backlash. The same happened with CS2. Even a year into the game, players are divided about how good it is. Pros suffered the most because even the smallest change affects those who have mastered the tiniest details. Going public with their opinions also doesn’t do any good for the game in terms of attracting new players. It’s not that CS2 isn’t popular; it’s the most popular game on Steam by far. It just doesn’t live up to CS:GO yet.