New Counter-Strike is a reality, coming to consoles and PC in early 2012

There was a rumor that started roaming around the net yesterday about a new Counter-Strike but Valve decided to confirm the rumors. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive features new maps, characters, weapons and provides updated versions of classic Counter-Strike content(maps like de_dust). CS: GO will also include new game modes, matchmaking, leaderboards, and more.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) will expand upon the team-based action gameplay that it pioneered when it was launched 12 years ago.

CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.

"Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely MOD became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999," said Doug Lombardi at Valve. "For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS' award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac."

CS: GO is being developed by Valve in cooperation with Seattle-based Hidden Path Entertainment. The title is targeted for release in early 2012 and will be playable at this year's PAX Prime and Eurogamer Expo.

Everybody knows Counter-Strike, but this is quite a shocker. People knew Valve has been cooking something and has an announcement to make, a lot was hoping for Half-Life 3, sadly not today. An updated Counter-Strike game that's also heading for consoles....not what I expected at all, but Counter-Strike is not even close to dead so I'm sure you CS fans are all excited with this announcement. It's coming next year so we'll see how it turns out when they reveal more info.