We just got a really good first look at CS: Legacy, the fan project that fully remade the classic Counter-Strike 1.6 experience with updated graphics, and I can’t wait to try it out.
If you love Counter-Strike Global Offensive but can’t help but reminisce about the good old days of 1.6, then you should really give this one a shot. CS: Legacy features all the hallmarks of the OG CS: the skins — yes, the true 1337 crew is back — the HUD, the sound effects, and a selection of maps clearly made by fans are all present.
Missing the little details, such as that incredibly gruesome headshot animation that sends blood and brains flying all over? You’re in luck! You can see a serious amount of care was applied here as even the animations were carefully remade to look like a mix between the classic and something a modern-day game would have. Everything was remade from the ground up using Valve’s Source Engine SDK 2013 to guarantee the highest fidelity to the core 1.6 experience but with modern looks.
When Half-Life 2 came out, Valve released Half-Life: Source, a basic update of the original game containing nearly no visual upgrades, and Counter-Strike: Source, a visual and gameplay update of Counter-Strike 1.6 that most didn’t like. Valve would later make up for the lackluster CS: Source with the excellent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but the original Half-Life remake blunder would only be fixed by a bunch of fans who came together to create Black Mesa. That game always had me wondering how a CS 1.6 remake could work if done by fans, and the results seem very promising.
CS: Legacy was made by the team responsible for the beloved CSPromod, so I’m betting we can be pretty optimistic about this one. CS: Legacy will become available at an undisclosed date in 2025, and it will come out featuring 5 absolute classic maps: De_Dust2, De_Train, De_Nuke, Fy_Pool_day, and Aim_map.
If you’d like to help develop CS: Legacy, you can do so via the CS: Legacy Patreon page.
Published: Mar 18, 2025 04:56 am