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Counter-Strike can be played online for free without having to download the official game. There are several options available for this.
PLAY-CS: Play Counter-Strike for free and online in your browser
If you are a fan of Counter-Strike 1.6, you can play this version for free in your browser.
- To do so, visit Play-CS. This is a Russian fan project that is available in all regions and offers servers for the well-known game modes there.
- Select a server and automatically download the assets in the browser. The game itself is a faithful adaptation of the original and has an active community.
- You don’t need an account to play this version of Counter-Strike. With an account, you can earn the in-game currency, host your own games and track your achievements.
- Note: Alternatively, you can install Counter-Strike 2, the free and official successor to the original.
Counter-Strike: Other ways to play the classic online for free
There are other online versions of Counter-Strike: these are browser games, however, and don’t allow you to keep track of your progress via an account. Two are particularly recommended:
- Counter-Strike Online offers matches with randomly selected players. The game theoretically offers everything you expect from CS, only with scaled-back graphics. You can also upgrade with better gear after each match.
- In CS-Z, you play the classic modes such as Deathmatch, but there are some innovations. You can capture and even disarm other players. You can choose from a total of 17 weapons.
- Flash Strike is a Flash classic reminiscent of Moorhuhn, which can be played without Flash thanks to the HTML5 version. You have three different weapons and difficulty levels at your disposal. You can duck, reload and hide.
