Valve officially revealed Counter-Strike 2, the sequel/upgrade to its popular esports first-person shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It brings the original game to the Source 2 engine, with each of the original game’s maps having been rebuilt for the new title. It launches in summer 2023 as a free upgrade for CS:GO.
In addition to the announcement, Valve also released three videos detailing the changes players can expect to see in Counter-Strike 2. Smoke grenades now create a dynamic, volumetric smoke cloud that interacts with the environment and can be dispelled by bullets and grenades. It’s also updated the servers’ architecture with sub-tick updates, so that players no longer have to worry about the in-game tick rate.
Long-time CS:GO players can bring their inventory with them into the new game, remade with Source 2 materials. It’s also updated the user interface, environmental effects and gameplay visuals, as well as the in-game audio.
According to Valve, a limited test for Counter-Strike 2 launches today for a small group of CS:GO players. The developers are using the test for “evaluating a subset of features to shake out any issues before the worldwide release.” Players are selected by the Valve team for various factors, including recent time spent in the game and Steam account standing.