Jess Cliffe, co-creator of Counter-Strike, is a game designer, level designer, and sound engineer known for his significant contributions to the gaming industry. Before Counter-Strike, he founded several gaming websites including JKMAG (1997) and Action Quake2 Map Depot, where he met future collaborator Minh Le.

Cliffe joined Counter-Strike's development after offering to design the mod's website during an IRC chat with Minh Le. His early responsibilities included website maintenance, public relations, graphics, and creating the iconic radio commands, hostage voices, and announcer recordings.

In 2000, Valve Software purchased Counter-Strike and offered jobs to both Cliffe and Le. Cliffe joined Valve full-time in 2003 after completing his studies. At Valve, he contributed to multiple Counter-Strike titles and other major games including:

• Left 4 Dead series
• Team Fortress 2
• Portal 2
• Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
• Day of Defeat: Source

For Counter-Strike: Source, Cliffe integrated ambient sounds and designed a remixed version of the Assault map. In CS:GO, he helped develop updated versions of Nuke and Dust II maps.

Notable facts:

• The map Militia references "Cliffe's Compound" in its description
• An expert bot named "Cliffe" exists in the game
• Cliffe and Minh Le share the same birthday

Legal Issues: In 2018, Cliffe was arrested in Seattle but later stated his innocence on Reddit. He accepted an Alford plea for a reduced charge of second-degree assault, explaining he was victim to a catfishing scam and served 57 days in a minimum security facility.

Career Impact: His work has significantly influenced multiplayer gaming, particularly through Counter-Strike's development from a mod to one of the most successful competitive gaming franchises. His voice work and sound designs remain iconic elements of the Counter-Strike series.

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