Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) was initially released as a paid game costing $14.99 on Steam. This price remained consistent from its launch in August 2012 until December 2018, when Valve made a significant change to the game's pricing model.

In December 2018, CS:GO became completely free-to-play. This means anyone can now download and play the base game without spending any money. However, players who purchased the game before it became free received a special Prime Status upgrade, which typically costs $14.99 for new players.

Prime Status in CS:GO offers several benefits:

- Exclusive matchmaking with other Prime players
- Access to all weapon drops and cases
- Eligible for receiving item drops and souvenir packages
- Additional features and exclusive items

While the base game is now free, there are still costs associated with CS:GO:

- Prime Status Upgrade: $14.99
- Operation Passes: Usually $15-20 (released periodically)
- Weapon Cases: Varying prices
- Weapon Skins: From $0.03 to thousands of dollars
- Stickers: Various prices

It's worth noting that all purchases beyond Prime Status are completely optional and don't affect core gameplay mechanics. They're purely cosmetic additions that players can choose to invest in if they wish to enhance their gaming experience.

The transition to free-to-play has significantly increased the game's player base while maintaining a revenue stream through optional purchases and the Prime Status upgrade system.

For new players today, the initial cost to fully experience CS:GO (with Prime Status) remains at $14.99, the same as its original release price, though you can try the base game for free before making this investment.

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