After an inspiring but ultimately fruitless eight years, the mod Classic Offensive, aimed at recreating the nostalgic experience of Counter-Strike 1.6 in CS:GO, has been officially cancelled. The development team announced the heartbreaking news in a statement on Reddit, following unexpected actions from Valve that prevented any further progress.
“After eight years of development, and despite being officially Greenlit by Valve in 2017, we are devastated to announce the cancellation of Classic Offensive. This decision follows abrupt actions by Valve that prevent us from releasing or continuing development on the project.”
Translation: The development team expressed their deep disappointment at the cancellation after years of hard work considering their project received Valve’s initial approval.
The mod’s development commenced back in 2015, and it was well-received within the community, eventually receiving official sanction through Valve’s Greenlight program. However, it faced setbacks starting January 2025 when Valve unexpectedly removed the mod from Steam without warning or a clear explanation. This led to significant frustrations among the developers, as they felt blindsided by Valve’s actions, especially since there had been no indication of concerns prior to the removal.
As a response, the Classic Offensive team sought to distribute their mod through ModDB, which prompted Valve to communicate with them again in March 2025. Unfortunately, Valve indicated that releasing Classic Offensive would violate their agreements regarding derivative content based on Valve’s intellectual property, which resulted in the firm cancellation of the project.
The developers expressed that this situation not only impacts their project but raises fundamental concerns about the future of modding in Valve’s ecosystem, warning against a shift away from the long-standing tradition that has helped build many beloved games.
In their closing remarks, the mod team thanked the community for their unwavering support throughout the years, stating: “We are immensely grateful for the incredible support, enthusiasm, and patience shown by the community throughout Classic Offensive’s support.”
