8. Counter-Strike
Platform(s): Mac and PC
Year: 1999
What started as a Half-Life mod became a pop cultural phenomenon that ushered in the first-person tactical shooter genre and revived the LAN party scene. A team-based multiplayer experience lead by ahead-of-its-time gameplay elements including ballistic details, squad play, and an updated hit-detection system, Counter-Strike ironically struck a chord with PCers through the simplistic objectives of taking out the other team and engaging in dope terrorism scenarios. The eSports realm should be indebted to what Minh “Gooseman” Le and Jess “Cliffe” Cliffe programmed. —AM
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