About Counter-Strike 1.6
Counter-Strike started in 1999 as a fan-made mod for Half-Life, created by Minh Le and Jess Cliffe, before Valve hired the pair and took over the game. Version 1.6, released in 2003, is the one most players mean when they talk about classic Counter-Strike. Two teams, Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, play short rounds built around planting or defusing a bomb or rescuing hostages, and the money you earn each round pays for weapons and armor in the next.
It rewards map knowledge, recoil control and teamwork as much as quick reflexes, and community servers have kept it alive for more than two decades.
How CSJS runs in your browser
CSJS is an independent browser version of Counter-Strike 1.6, run by its own team at csjs.live. It isn’t made or endorsed by Valve. Under the hood it runs CS 1.6 on Xash3D, the open-source engine compatible with Valve’s GoldSrc, compiled to WebAssembly so it works in a browser tab.
CSJS plays directly on this page. There’s no Steam account and nothing to install: once it loads, you choose one of the live community servers and join a match. It’s an online game, so you’ll be playing against real people on whichever servers are running at the time. The server lineup is managed by the CSJS team and can change, so the list may look different from one visit to the next.
Controls and devices
On a computer, CSJS uses the standard Counter-Strike layout: WASD to move, the mouse to aim and shoot, B for the buy menu at the start of a round and Esc for the menu. Click inside the game to capture the mouse.
CSJS also has a touch mode for phones, so you can join a match from a mobile browser, though aiming with your thumbs is a real handicap against players on a mouse. Chrome on a desktop or laptop is the best-supported setup.
Other ways to play
If CSJS servers are quiet when you visit, our Combat Skirmish page covers another browser version of CS 1.6 with public servers. The CS 1.6 hub compares every option we list, and the multiplayer section has more games you can play online with other people.
Is Counter-Strike 1.6 (CSJS) Free, Safe and Official?
Is CSJS free, and is it official?
CSJS is free to play in your browser. It’s an unofficial project run by an independent team and isn’t made or endorsed by Valve.
Do I need Steam or my own copy of Counter-Strike?
No. CSJS runs in a browser tab with no Steam account, no download and no game files of your own.
Can I play CSJS on my phone?
Yes, CSJS has a touch mode for phones. Aiming with your thumbs is much harder than with a mouse, so a computer is still the better way to play.
