Story 1: The Seven-Year Failure That Followed Counter-Strike

What happens after you co-create a global phenomenon? For Minh
Le, the visionary behind Counter-Strike, the answer was to walk
away from the security of Valve and risk it all on an ambitious
successor: Tactical Intervention.


In the debut episode of "Behind the Scenes," recorded live at
devcom 2025, we sit down with Minh Le for an unflinchingly honest
conversation about the project that came next. This isn't a story
of success, but a seven-year journey through development hell,
navigating difficult partnerships, and facing a crushing public
reception.


We dive deep into the pivotal moments of that journey, from the
mid-development decision to switch to a Free-to-Play model to the
single most surreal moment of Minh's career—a story that involves
a Korean character fair and a bunny costume.


This episode is a powerful look at the reality of game
development, the immense pressure of following up a masterpiece,
and the invaluable lessons learned from spectacular failure.


In this episode, you will learn:


Why Minh Le chose to leave Valve at the height of
Counter-Strike's success.

The critical mistakes and external pressures that derailed
the development of Tactical Intervention.

The surreal story of the "bunny costume" and what it
symbolized for the project.

How failure can be a more powerful teacher than success, and
how Minh Le found his way back to the industry.



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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/behind_the_scenes_show


Steady: https://steady.page/behindthescenes


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