Valve says there isn’t a Mac version of Counter-Strike 2 because the audience on Apple’s computer ecosystem is too small.
The company explained the decision in a support page for the recently released free-to-play first-person shooter, which is an updated version of CS:GO that replaces its predecessor.
“As technology advances, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue support for older hardware, including DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems. Similarly, we will no longer support macOS,” says Valve.
According to the tech giant, these platforms collectively represent “less than one percent of active CS:GO players.” Therefore, Valve says it will “exclusively support 64-bit Windows and Linux” going forward.
This speaks to a larger lack of support for Mac from gaming publishers. While Apple has landed partnerships with the likes of Capcom (Resident Evil Village), Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3) and Kojima Productions (Death Stranding), wider support for Mac has been lacking.
It should be noted, though, that CS:GO — now Counter-Strike 2 — is one of the most popular games on the market with tens of millions of players per month. Therefore, even one percent of that audience would account for hundreds of thousands of people, so it’s unfortunate that they’re being left behind.
For now, Mac users can play a legacy version of CS:GO that lacks official matchmaking until January 1st, 2024. While the game will remain available beyond that date, Valve says “certain functionality that relies on compatibility with the Game Coordinator (e.g., access to inventory) may degrade and/or fail.”
Those who paid for Valve’s $20.49 CAD Prime Status upgrade, which offers special matchmaking and weekly item drops, can also seek a refund until December 1st. Valve says players will be eligible if “most of their CS:GO playtime was on macOS and they played CS:GO on a Mac between the announcement of the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test (March 22, 2023) and the launch of Counter-Strike 2 (September 27, 2023), regardless of when they purchased their Prime Status Upgrade.”
Image credit: Valve
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
