The rumors are flying about Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The collection of rumors come from the ESEA News site itself, a collection of speculation and possible insider information. Here's the list generated so far.

• Planned to be released Q1 2012
  Focuses on 5v5 competition
  Press release within 24 hours from VALVe
  Plays on an updated source engine
  Individual & Team rankings
  New Guns added
  New Grenades
  Dust & Aztec major revamp
  Spamming still viable
  Ammo is free

Updated rumor list:

• Air movement feels identical to CS: Source
  Ladder movement feels the same as CS:S
  Test servers are running tickrate33, so bunny hopping was inconsistent (presumably will be changed)
  1-shot kills with any weapon other than Desert Eagle currently too difficult to achieve; testers stressed that it needs to be tweaked
  Flashes are similar to 1.6; Smoke grenades similar to CS:S

With the ESEA saying on their Facebook that more news is forthcoming tomorrow (Friday), it should stand to reason that at least the rumor of Valve releasing a press release within 24 hours is true.

We'll have to wait and see.

Valve has taken the lid off of the inevitable and has officially announced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive!
CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.

"Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely MOD became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999," said Doug Lombardi, VP of Marketing at Valve. "For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS' award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac."

CS: GO is being developed by Valve in cooperation with Seattle-based Hidden Path Entertainment. The title is targeted for release in early 2012 and will be playable at this year's PAX Prime and Eurogamer Expo 2011.

The game will be available in "early 2012" for the PlayStation Network, the Xbox Live Arcade, and PC gamers through Steam. More information, when it is made available can be found here.

Referenced post #7 by deefop
I just can't understand why they only invited css players... css is bad for competition in comparison to 1.6. And it's more or less dead in europe, again, when compared to 1.6. It's like they want to create a competitive game but they only listened to feedback from the group that plays the game much more suited to pub style play

I'd love to get back into CS but I'm such a n00b now I get shouted at for FF all the time

Let's wait and see what CS:GO brings us.

In the trailer on steam they said "Cross-Platform" did they mean we can pwn people on consoles or its just for Macs as-well?

They should've also invited some real professional players (i.e 1.6 players. SK/Na'Vi? ) to really point out why CSS is unplayable in competition...

@hubwub Would love to chat with people while there. Look for us around the tournament booth.

@men1kmati The pros will have access. Feedback without playing is not nearly as valuable as feedback post playtest.

Going to the Intel Extreme Masters in NYC. Meeting with 1.6 Pros and others.