By Slash Lane

Published: 03:20 PM EST (12:20 PM PST)

The No. 1 online action game in the world, Counter-Strike: Source, is now available for Mac OS X via Valve's Steam distribution platform, and is free for those who already own it on Windows.

"CSS is a Steam Play title, so if you own it on the PC -- you own it on the Mac," the company said in a press release. "Besides PC Vs. Mac cross-platform play, this update also adds achievements, stats, engine updates and more."

To celebrate the launch of Counter-Strike: Source for Mac, the title is being offered on sale, with 66 percent off its regular price on Steam, Valve's online digital distribution storefront. Counter-Strike: Source can be had for both Mac and Windows for $6.80.

New features for the title include match and lifetime player stats and summary screens that allow players to track their kills and deaths, and compare themselves against other players. More than 140 unique achievements have also been added, covering everything from defusing bombs and winning pistol rounds to dominating a first foe.

"Always know who on your team is contributing the most with the end round MVP award," the release notes state. "And all your favorite Steam features have been added including avatar pictures, domination icons and more."

Counter-Strike-Source is an online competitive first-person shooter developed by Valve. It is a remake of the classic Counter-Strike game using the improved Source engine, which powers other popular titles like Half-Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 -- all of which are available on Steam. Counter-Strike Source was first released in late 2004, and has received numerous updates over the years, helping to keep an active community of players.



Steam for Mac got off to a strong start in May, when more than 8 percent of gamers on the system were using Apple hardware, according to Valve's monthly hardware survey. May was the first time Mac OS X users were able to officially used the Steam service within Mac oS X.

Steam is a digital game distribution platform which has more than 25 million users and offers access to 1,100 games on the PC. Developer Valve has said it will treat the Mac as a "first-tier" platform, meaning new major titles developed for the PC will release day-and-date with the Mac.

High-profile releases from Valve for Mac OS X so far have included Game of the Year award winners Portal and Half-Life 2. Valve has also made native OS X support for the Source engine available to licensees for use in their games. The company has also made its Steamworks suite of publishing and development tools available on the Mac platform, including product key authentication, copy protection, auto-updating, social networking, matchmaking, anti-cheat technology, and more.