Counter-Strike 1.6 Returns, Iconic FPS Gets Full Remake After 25 Years

Counter-Strike 1.6—one of the most influential first-person shooters in gaming history—is finally receiving a complete remake titled CS: Legacy. The project comes nearly 25 years after the original game’s release and aims to preserve the classic Counter-Strike experience while updating it for modern players.

The announcement was made on March 16 via a YouTube trailer showcasing the standalone title. The trailer offers fans a glimpse of updated versions of classic maps like Nuke and Pool Day, featuring the iconic movement mechanics and gameplay elements that made the original a lasting favorite. Unlike CS2, CS: Legacy isn’t being developed by Valve but by the team behind the legendary ProMod—developers whose work helped shape the competitive Counter-Strike scene.

“CS: Legacy is a fully standalone remake of Counter-Strike 1.6, built from the ground up with 100% custom game code and game assets,” the development team stated in their announcement. “After the exciting Global Offensive transition to CS2, we wanted to bring Classic Counter-Strike back to life more than ever to keep the Classic CS Legacy alive.”

The remake is built on Valve’s official 2013 Source Engine SDK codebase, with significant rewrites to the renderer, shaders, and various systems.  The CS ProMod developers have announced that Legacy will be available on Steam in Early Access sometime in 2025, though an exact release date has not yet been revealed.

Despite CS2’s massive success, the original Counter-Strike and CS: Source still maintain dedicated player bases, each averaging over 10,000 players in 2025. This persistent popularity highlights the enduring appeal of the franchise’s earlier iterations and explains why there has been such consistent demand for remastered versions of these classics.