“LAN Cafes Were the Best”: co-creator of Counter-Strike reflects on CS history and today’s CS2

Minh Le, the co-creator of Counter-Strike gave an interview on the second birthday of CS2, talking about the early origins of Counter-Strike, his thoughts on CS2, and much more.

Minh Le was asked about the changes he would make to CS2, to which he replied saying he would not change anything. He stated that the gameplay has been refined over 25 years, and then not having overcomplicated rule set has made the game so popular.

"I wouldn’t change anything about CS2 because it’s gameplay has been refined and perfected over 25 years. It has become the quintessential competitive shooter by listening to the community feedback.

I think part of the reason CS is so popular is because it doesn’t have overly complicated ruleset. A new player can pick it up and understand why he’s dying and what he needs to improve in order to get better"

When asked about bugs, he joked that Valve isn’t alone, and many big companies like Microsoft also struggle. With a massive codebase, new issues are bound to appear.

He also expressed his love for LAN Cafes, calling it the most memorable thing about CS. Then talking about esports, Minh Le said he respects many players, but has a soft spot for Vitality, praising their entertaining playstyle.