For all of you new players, CS:GO includes a ton of new game modes, characters, maps, weapons, and more. If that sounds a bit overwhelming, here are some tips to get you started:

First, if you’ve never played a Counter-Strike game before, check out the Weapons Course where you’ll learn about the core concepts of the game. Even seasoned veterans should try the special timed course at the end.

Ready to test your skills? Head over to the Arms Race or Deathmatch, fast-paced modes where you can practice each weapon without worrying too much about objectives.

Ok, now that you’ve got the weapons down, it’s time for some teamwork! Head over to Demolition mode for quick, intense action where both teams fight over a central bombsite. Or, if you’re in the mood for some classic Counter-Strike action, drop in to a Casual match and practice some new strategies.

Want a challenge? Jump into Competitive matchmaking, where you’ll play a full best-of-30 5 vs. 5 match. Matchmaking will place you in matches with players at your skill level, and you’ll receive a personal ranking once you’ve won 10 matches. Competitive matches can take a while, so make sure you’ve got enough time before you commit to a match!

Enjoy the free weekend, and don’t forget to pick up CS:GO and an Operation Payback pass before the sale ends on Monday!

As you may recall, CS:GO players generate a ton of data. This week we focused on grenade data, and saw that players of all skill levels were able to use flashbangs effectively. Today’s update includes an experiment: in Classic Competitive matches, you can purchase two flashbangs and four grenades total.

In additional data-driven news, we’ve modified several weapons. The full list is in the notes, but as always the best way to evaluate a change is to play. Give them a shot, and let us know what you think in the forums!

In light of the grenade changes in today’s update, now is the perfect time to check out all of the great community-generated guides. New players should head over to this introduction to flashbangs, written by Todd ‘Anger’ Williams from Curse.

Want to learn more? Visit our resources page, or head over to teamcurse.net and watch the series of videos the team has put together.

Since we launched the CS:GO Maps Workshop back in February, over 1,400 maps have been uploaded. The CS team has been consistently blown away by how complex, well thought out, and just plain fun so many of these maps have been.

We really wanted these maps to reach a wider audience, and also get the people making these amazing new gameplay experiences rewarded for their efforts. But how? Luckily, in the time it takes a CT to hold up a flashbang and announce that it’s a flashbang, we hit upon the answer.

“Operation Payback” marks the first of an ongoing series of limited-time updates aimed at giving a well-earned financial reward to some of CS:GO’s most popular and prolific mapmakers. For a limited time, you can buy a pass half-priced for $2.99. That’ll get you unlimited access to a Classic Casual map group featuring seven of the highest-voted Workshop Maps. Invite your friends (even if they don’t have a pass) and enjoy uninterrupted low-ping play on official servers—all while rewarding CS:GO’s top-voted virtual mapmakers with real money. Buying a pass also gets you a one-of-a-kind challenge coin, upgradable by playing and viewable wherever your avatar is shown. “Operation Payback” will be live from now until July 31st, and it’s currently half-priced, so get in there!

And remember: “Payback” is just the beginning. Future Operations will highlight all-new collections of popular maps. So stay tuned, keep mapmaking, and keep upvoting!

First up: We’ve added some new twists and improvements to “Militia”, one of Counter-Strike’s most longstanding and popular hostage rescue maps. Available in all game modes, “Militia” has the same look and feel as the map you remember, with a few new surprises along the way. We think you’ll enjoy the improvements. We’ve also overhauled the Main Menu, making it easier than ever to find and join your friends in CS:GO.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we’ve given CS’s Hostage Rescue Mode a big upgrade.

This update balances out the gameplay so it’s not such a cakewalk for the Terrorist team anymore. The tweaks should add some new challenges for both sides and provide a more engaging and competitive experience for everybody.

How? Well, for starters, there are only two hostages now. (They’re not hiding out where they used to be, either, so check your radar.) Another tweak: CTs now only have to bring one of the two hostages to the Rescue Zone to win.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Hold on, now it sounds too easy for the CTs,” we completely agree: So to even it back up a little, you’ll have to untie your hostage first and carry the lazy bum the whole way to safety. Also, apparently the terrorists were feeding these guys nonstop, because there’s the additional challenge that carrying a hostage is going to slow you down a bit. You’ll need to strategize and protect if your CT team wants to get a hostage to the Rescue Zone unscathed. And remember: hostages can’t get hurt in a firefight, but stray bullets that hit a hostage will cost you.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Wait, now it sounds too hard for the CTs again,” whoa, hold on. You didn’t let us finish. Picking up a hostage will earn you extra time on the clock. And for you CTs out there who don’t like getting shot at while fumbling with knots, buying a Rescue Kit will reduce the time it takes to untie a hostage.

Be sure to let us know what you think on the CS:GO forum. As always, we appreciate the feedback, and enjoy working with the community to make the game better.

When we launched the Maps Workshop, we knew that the community would respond with some high quality maps. We couldn’t have anticipated that you’d send us over FIVE HUNDRED maps in just one week!

Thanks to all of the map makers for getting the workshop off to a great start. If you’re interested in hosting these great maps on your server, make sure you check out some of the resources available here.

Today’s update includes a few fixes and adjustments to the way players and servers interact with the Maps Workshop. In addition, today we’re releasing some changes to pistols based on player data we’ve collected over the past weeks. These changes are just a part of the continuing evolution of weapon balance in CS:GO, so we’re eager to see how players adjust.

As always, the best way to learn about weapons is to try them yourself. Jump into a deathmatch server, queue up some competitive matches, and put those pistols through their paces.

We’re on sale through the weekend, so now is the perfect time to pick up a copy for yourself and your friends!

Using the Maps Workshop is easy! Just use the new client Map Browser and select the “Maps Workshop” tab, visit the workshop from the CS:GO Game Hub, or click the image below.

Browse the Maps Workshop, vote for your favorites, and subscribe to any map that grabs your interest. Your game client will automatically download the map, and it will update every time the author makes a change. You can quickmatch into a community server running your new map, set up a private match through Play With Friends, or explore the map offline with bots.

The Maps Workshop also has a ton of features for server operators and map makers. If you’re running a server, you can use the Maps Workshop to quickly find the most popular community maps. All you have to do is subscribe, and you’ll always have the most up to date version available.

Working on a map? Don’t hesitate to get your rough draft up on the Workshop. You can update your map as often as you’d like, and players and servers will stay current. The best way to test a map is to get players in there, so publish early and publish often!

Beyond the overall design of the map, map makers can now specify a wide range of gameplay-affecting settings. Stick to the standard CS formula, or create a totally new experience for players. The Maps Workshop provides infinite gameplay, with every kind of Counter-Strike the community can dream up.

New maps, new gameplay, and an easy way to join and contribute to the CS:GO community. What are you waiting for?

GO! GO! GO!

In today’s pro tip, we hear from NiP’s GeT_RiGhT, who provides a broad introduction to the ‘backup’ role in competitive play, and demonstrates how backup players can position themselves to make the biggest impact on a round in de_inferno.

Counter-Strike players can have many roles, from snipers and riflers to backup players and defenders. Find your own play style in Competitive Matchmaking, hone your weapon skills in Deathmatch, or watch your friends in action to learn how they approach a round!

We’ll continue to monitor player performance in the weeks to come, so head into a Deathmatch server and give the newest adjustments a shot.

This update also includes an easy new way to watch your friends in action.

To spectate your friends, just head over to the “Play With Friends” menu. If your friend is on an official matchmaking server, you’ll see a WATCH button next to the JOIN and INVITE buttons.

Spectating is a great way to learn some new tricks, or to root for your favorite players while they’re in a match!

To try the weapon changes out for yourself, we’ve also added a new game mode to matchmaking and offline play: Deathmatch.

You can join a Deathmatch on either the Classic maps or the Demolition and Arms Race maps. Practice your aim with individual weapons like the pros, spawn with a random weapon, or boost your score by taking advantage of bonus timers. There’s no wrong way to play.

Deathmatch mode is also a useful way to learn a new map. Find out where you’re exposed, and experiment with new angles and approaches.

Speaking of maps, today also marks the launch of a private beta for the Map Workshop. If you’re a map maker, mail csgo_sdk@list.valvesoftware.com with the subject “Map Workshop Beta” and your Steam ID in the content, with a link to maps shipped or in progress that would be suitable for the workshop.

You can find the Server Report panel in the pause menu.

In addition to fixes and gameplay tweaks driven by community feedback, there’s a lot more in store for CS:GO fans.

For you map-makers out there, get your custom maps together! We’re working on the Map Workshop, so stay tuned for more details soon.