The developers of the fan remake of Counter-Strike 1.6 have encountered an unexpected issue: according to a Valve representative, using the Counter-Strike IP might be prohibited without a separate license. This casts doubt on the release of CS:Legacy, even though the team has adhered to all the requirements of the Source SDK license agreement and Steamworks rules from the start.

How It All Began
CS:Legacy is an attempt to revive the classic in a modern form. The game is being developed on the Source SDK 2013, distributed for free, and does not use external resources: all models, interface, visual style, and code are created from scratch. The project team includes the same people who were behind CSPromod, another fan shooter that once coexisted peacefully with Valve and had 10 public versions.

From day one, the developers strictly followed Valve's licensing policy, assuming that within the existing SDK, they could create a game based on CS. However, they recently received a message from a Valve representative stating that further use of the Counter-Strike IP without a separate license might be unacceptable.

What Happens Next
After receiving the message, the team contacted Valve's legal department to get an official position. While awaiting a response, the project's development is in limbo. To avoid speculation, the team officially announced the situation on social media and began refunding donations to all previous supporters—most have already received automatic refunds.

The developers emphasize that they were prepared for such a scenario from the beginning: all project content belongs to them, not Valve, and CS:Legacy can easily transform into a completely new game with its own IP. If Valve ultimately prohibits using CS, the team will switch to another engine (prioritizing Godot, with Unreal Engine also considered) and start creating a new game from scratch, preserving the spirit of old shooters.

In the near future, the developers plan to upload the current build of CS:Legacy through Steamworks and wait for Valve's response. If positive, early access will occur in 2026. If not, work on a new project will begin immediately.

This caught us off guard, since we ensured that CS:Legacy is fully aligned with the Source SDK's license and their Steamworks guidelines [...] We've made sure to tell Valve that we were, and still are, ready to make any modifications, adaptations or restrictions to our project that they see fit.
CS:Legacy

We will respect their decision, but we won't be waiting forever for an answer either. That is why we've decided to keep working on CS:Legacy, and in parallel start a prototype right away on the Godot Engine, so we can be ready, shall we need to continue the journey working on our own IP.
CS:Legacy

Even if CS:Legacy doesn't release, fans will receive something equally interesting—a new competitive FPS game inspired by the classic CS 1.6 gameplay. The developers promise a "cinematic" visual style reminiscent of 90s action movies, deep modding support, dedicated servers, and that same old-school gameplay—with clear shooting, wall penetration, and an honest engine.

For Valve, this story might result in another wave of criticism: the company once again shows that fan initiatives within its ecosystem are in a vulnerable position—even if they strictly adhere to all formalities.