1. Valve has only 336 employees, significantly fewer than major gaming companies like EA, Epic Games, and Riot Games. 2. The company's 'Games' department has 181 employees, while the 'Hardware' team, responsible for the Steam Deck, has 41. 3. Valve's small size contrasts with its significant influence in the PC gaming industry.

1. Counter-Strike is 25 years old, first released as a mod for Half-Life in public beta form on June 19, 1999. 2. The game was officially released as a standalone on November 8, 2000, and has become the foundation for competitive first-person shooters. 3. Despite the 25th anniversary, Valve has not done anything particularly noteworthy for Counter-Strike, but Counter-Strike 2 was released in September 2023, featuring improvements with Source Engine 2.