China Finally Gets Its Hands on CS:GO

Spreading its popularity further across the world, Counter-Strike:Global Offensive is now available to gamers residing in China. With a few tweaks and changes, the maps and gameplay remain untouched for a whole new part of the world to experiment with. 

The title came about thanks to a collaboration between Perfect World, a Chinese game publisher and Valve, the game developers. Early participation rewards users with the low-latency game servers and instant Prime matchmaking status. This, while it remains free for those who choose to verify their identity through Perfect World. One more bonus is the fact that the first month has a free promotional gift package waiting for each new player, including sticker capsules and a grafiti spray.

As mentioned before, the game isn't exactly the same. The most notable change is the fact that hammer and sickle symbols have been removed from the maps Cache and Train, to avoid reminding the fact that China was formerly communist. 

Overall, this is a step forward for FPS esports. Asia is famous for being viciously serious when it comes to esports, having an especial afinity for MOBAs. With Overwatch being the only FPS towards the east, Chinese CS:GO could conceive new opposition in the scene. Only time will tell.