Valve Makes Tags in CS:GO a Paid Expendable

Remember when Valve used to be the good guys? Yeah, it seems like a long time ago, back when they had the stars in their eyes and they were both the providers of the best digital storefront and forward-thinking games that were equal parts fun and fair. Those days are long past now, of course, and now Valve has pulled yet another crazy move by taking what was once a free, often enjoyed feature in Counter Strike: Global Offensive--tags, painted images that could be placed on any flat surface on a map--and putting it behind a paywall.

It's pretty simple: now, if you want to slap a tag on a flat surface, you'll need to buy a Graffiti box, a limited-use item that let you place a specific tag 50 times before expiring. While it's possible to get a Graffiti box for free as an end of the week prize for ranking up, if you want a guaranteed box, or any of the community-made tags, you'll have to buy it on the marketplace, which can cost anything from 2 bucks to 30.

But wait, that's not all: not only is Valve charging money for something most FPS's allow users to do for free, but these tags can actually be exploitable. Players have discovered that you can use these tags on clear flat surfaces like windows to block line of sight, or even make a one-way window where someone could use to ambush others.

So, that sucks. Of course, users are unhappy, and folks are complaining about it, but if Valve will actually listen? Unlikely. After all, how else is the world's biggest marketplace for PC gaming going to make money?