A team of modders wants to bring back the classic Counter-Strike, but Steam doesn't seem to be on board

Valve has begun communicating with the Classic Offensive mod team over concerns about a possible violation of Steam’s guidelines. This mod, in development for eight years, aims to recreate the experience of the classic Counter-Strike 1.6, and was initially approved in 2017 by Steam’s now-defunct Greenlight program. However, in January 2025, the Classic Offensive team faced the discouraging news that their version was rejected without explanations by an automated support message from Steam.

Valve banned them from publishing for no apparent reason

The team leader, known as ZooL, had been working on different Counter-Strike mods since 2015 and has faced a lack of communication with Valve for several years. The lack of clarification from the company generated frustration, as the team insisted that they had followed all the regulations and recommendations thoroughly. “No one at Valve told us to stop working on this all these years,” they commented, highlighting how confusing it was to receive a rejection without a clear justification.

Despite these obstacles, Valve’s recent contact has opened a path for dialogue and addressing concerns. In a message posted on X, the Classic Offensive team announced that they were conducting an audit to ensure that their mod complies with Steam’s guidelines and the Steam Subscription Agreement. This development, although still uncertain about the future of the mod, represents a glimmer of hope for developers and fans. The opportunities to find solutions and modify the mod to meet regulations could allow Classic Offensive to finally see the light.

For the moment, there are no additional updates on the status of the mod, and the team has indicated that there is no defined timeline for completing the audit. However, the possibility of maintaining open communication with Valve has revived hopes that this exciting project may materialize in the near future and we can return to the classic Counter-Strike.

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