Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the long awaited modernization of the extremely popular Half-Life mod, and is scheduled to be released in 2012. There is no firm release date from Valve other than “When the community tells us.”
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Macintosh.

When will Counter-Strike: Global Offensive be released?

The release date for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive across all available platforms will be on August 21, 2012.

Is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive a sequel to Source?

Not necessarily a sequel; it’s more like an update. Global Offensive will offer more of the same Counter-Strike that first-person shooting purists will love, but with the addition of new maps, characters, equipment, a matchmaking system, and a more updated look.

Which maps have been confirmed to be in Counter-Strike: GO?

 
Valve promises to introduce all-new maps, but many of the most popular ones will be making a return. The confirmed maps so far are:

• Dust
• Dust 2
• Aztec
• Office
• Nuke
• Italy
• Inferno

Are there any new weapons in Global Offensive?

So far two new weapons have been introduced: the Molotov Cocktail andZeus Stun Gun. Read more about them in their respective pages.

Will there be any new modes offered in this update?

On September 22, 2011, Valve announced a new mode called Arsenal, based on the popular Gun Mode mod. In this mode, all players start off only with a pistol, and with each kill the player is granted a new weapon that he must then use to defeat his enemies. Once all the weapons have seen a kill, that player wins. Most notably, Valve is working closely with the creators of the original mod to ensure that Arsenal is the best version of Gun Game. [1]

How do I get into the beta?

Visit Valve’s Official CS:Go Blog and fill out the online survey near the top of the page. The invites are random. Source: Link
The beta currently offers a very small taste of the total content, featuring only two maps and a smattering of equipment.