The dawn of a new era is upon us. In under 24 hours Valve are opening up the floodgates for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the newest iteration in what is arguably one of the most important shooters in gaming history. If you're a gamer, chances are you've had some kind of interaction with the series, so you'll understand just how big of a deal it is. How will you sleep tonight? How can you prepare for battle? We've got five ideas that will keep you busy.
Practice makes perfect
You have less than 24 hours to wait, so why not get right into the swing of things by spending the next few hours with Counter-Strike: Source or if you're old school, why not boot up some CS 1.6? You can hone your skills, relive your favourite maps and get the jump on the noobs who will no doubt flood the servers when they finally open up.
Study, study, study
While most of your favourite maps will be returning in CS:GO, we already know that a number of new game modes, weapons and areas are open for business. While we don't have the full details just yet, a bunch of info has been available for those of us lucky enough to enter the beta for a couple of months now. So be prepared; check out out survival tips, Arms Race guide, demolition guide and weapons and prices guide so you are fully prepared when the game launches tomorrow.
Watch The Hurt Locker
Bomb defusals in a dusty desert sounds familiar right? If you're wanting to take a break from gaming before you sell your soul to Valve tomorrow, you could study up and watch the magnificent movie The Hurt Locker which features scenes rather reminiscent of a good round on de_dust or de_dust 2.
Put in time with your significant other
Mum, dad, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, dog, cat - chances are one of these will apply to you. You're going to be spending a lot of time on the computer over the next few days, so perhaps now would be a good time to show you really do care, and give them a reason to put up with your extended absence and the smell....you know, the smell that only an extended gaming session can produce.
Clean your weapons
A good soldier always looks after his weapons, which means now good be a good time to run routine cleaning and maintenance on your high performance gaming mouse and keyboard, along with your desk and general gaming area. Refill those snacks, clean out all those crumbs and get ready for the fight of a lifetime.
How are you preparing for CS:GO?
By Stephen Heller