The CS:GO beta started on the 1st of December last year. Originally billed as a mere stress test, it was rather barren regarding game features and functionality, and felt, quite frankly, like a console port. In addition, it felt like Valve had not taken the title very seriously (the first ever CS:GO tournament was not sponsored by Valve or even advertised by it… unlike Dota 2′s first tournament). Nonetheless, the beta was, and still is an enjoyable experience, and most testers held hope that frequent updates would make it into an even greater experience.

Two months later, it seemed like Valve had all but forgotten about CS:GO. It was still pretty much unchanged, and the “early 2012″ date didn’t seem like it was going to hold up. Then, out of nowhere, Valve saves the day, with a gigantic update for the beta, adding new maps, new weapons, all-new features as well as redesigning the website and inviting thousands of new players. The stress test is over – now the CS:GO beta really begins.