- Counter-Strike Creator Gooseman’s New Title… Sailing Smoothly on 150,000 Wishlists
- A PvE cooperative FPS featuring police special forces… drawing attention for its arcade vibe and tactical action.
It has been 27 years since ‘Counter-Strike’ was released. The developer who created one of the most influential FPS games in history has returned with a new title.
Vietnamese-Canadian developer Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le continues steady development with developer Ultimo Ratio Games, introducing the police special forces PvE cooperative FPS ‘Alpha Response’ .
Since its release on Steam Early Access in October 2024, the game has expanded its content through continuous updates and currently has approximately 150,000 wishlist items. Recently, it has once again garnered attention with a 25% discount during the Steam Summer Sale.
The development team is working on the game with the goal of an official release in the third quarter of 2026. Gooseman is also continuing to engage with the Counter-Strike community, including personally visiting the 2026 BLAST.tv Austin Major Playoffs.
A combination of Time Crisis DNA and modern FPS
The biggest feature of Alpha Response is that it combines the feel of classic arcade shooting games with a modern FPS system. Inspired by ‘Time Crisis’ and ‘Virtua Cop’, the development team focused on creating an intuitive yet intense action experience.
The game is set in a fictional European city. Various indoor and outdoor spaces, including streets, squares, massive subway stations, cathedrals, and industrial facilities, serve as battlefields. In particular, the urban environment, where civilians walk the streets and vehicles move, adds tension to the execution of operations.
Combat is fast and intuitive. The impact of weapons and bullet holes are rendered with a weighty yet intense feel, and the game is designed so that anyone can easily adapt to combat without a complex learning process. While the objectives are clear and the interface is simple, players experience a high level of immersion amidst continuous engagements and missions.
From bomb defusal and hostage rescue to VIP escort… missions that change every time
The game features four main mission types: hostage rescue, bomb defusal, VIP escort, and preventing cash robberies. Two large maps each contain approximately 20 unique missions, and the location of enemies and combat situations change every time, keeping the game fresh even during repeated playthroughs.
Developer Gooseman describes Alpha Response as “a game that combines elements of Payday, Counter-Strike, and Left 4 Dead.”
Players can complete missions alone or enjoy cooperative play with up to four people. A variety of equipment is provided, including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles, as well as shields and grenades, and customization using attachments such as suppressors and scopes is also supported.
“One of the most entertaining shooters of the year”… Praised but also called for improvement
Reactions from international media have been generally positive. PCGamesN described it as “an original title that offers fast, fun, and sensory spectacle,” while IGN France also highly praised its intense action and distinctiveness in a similar vein.
NeonLightsMedia, a media outlet specializing in games, evaluated the game by stating, “It is a work that focuses on the fun of pure arcade action instead of the excessive ornamentation typical of modern shooters,” and added, “The mission progression, ranging from bomb threats to suppressing bank robberies, provides breathless tension.”
The reaction from Steam users is also positive. In the community, reviews such as “It reminds me of the Counter-Strike beta days,” “I was so immersed in one mission that I lost track of time,” and “It feels like a mix of SWAT 4 and Counter-Strike” are continuing to pour in.
However, some users are also suggesting that improvements in technical completeness are needed, such as the directional expression of footstep sounds and frame optimization.
Leaving Valve for Korea, through Rust to the Indie… Gooseman’s 27-Year Journey
Minh Le is a figure who changed the history of the FPS genre by co-creating the Half-Life mod ‘Counter-Strike’ with Jess Cliffe in 1999.
In a past interview, he explained, “Counter-Strike players wanted the game to stay the same,” adding, “So I left Valve to create a game with new features and new ideas.”
Afterwards, from 2007 to 2012, he developed ‘Tactical Intervention’ with a small development team in Korea, and later participated in the survival game ‘Rust’ project.
Recently, judging that the competitive PvP market has reached saturation, they are focusing on PvE cooperative shooters. He explained Alpha Response’s direction, stating, “The current PvP market is highly competitive, and it is not easy to attract new players.”
Gooseman, which ushered in an era of the FPS genre through Counter-Strike, is now exploring new possibilities in the cooperative-oriented PvE market rather than the competitive-oriented PvP market.
Although it is still in the early access stage, attention is focused on what changes ‘Alpha Response’ will show by its official launch, as it continues to grow based on 150,000 wishlist items, consistent updates, and positive user reviews.
Information regarding ‘Alpha Response’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Ultimo Ratio Games |
| Director | Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le (Co-founder of Counter-Strike) |
| Genre | First-person PvE Tactical Co-op FPS / Action Shooter |
| Release platform | PC (Steam Early Access) |
| Early access begins | October 8, 2024 |
| Official release target | Q3 2026 |
| Steam Review | Mostly positive 79% (803 items) |
| Wishlist | Approximately 150,000 cases |
| Play Mode | Solo / Co-op up to 4 players |
| Mission Type | Hostage Rescue / Bomb Defusal / VIP Escort / Cash Robbery Prevention |
| Current content | 2 large maps / Approximately 20 unique missions per map |
| inspiration | Counter-Strike · Payday · Left 4 Dead · Time Crisis |
| Major media | PCGamesN·IGN France·Vice·GamesBeat·Dust2.us |
| Steam Summer Sale | 25% discount in progress |
| Main Keywords | Police, Special Forces, Co-op FPS, PvE, Gooseman, Arcade, Tactical Shooter |
| Official Channel | Discord · YouTube · Reddit · Twitch · X · Facebook · Bluesky |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
