Counter Strike 2: Releasing Summer 2023

Source 2 Engine

CS2 is based on Valve’s Source 2 engine and includes updates to some of the game’s core mechanics, including improved smoke grenades and “sub-tick updates” that Valve says will let “servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.” (A video also appears to show someone clearing grenade smoke with another grenade.) The game will also have revamped maps, better visuals, UI enhancements, reworked audio, and more.

Revamped Maps

In a video titled “Leveling Up The World,” Valve says that maps will be getting a new look in CS2 but that experienced players’ skills should carry over. The company also talks about the three “tiers” of maps in the games. There are “touchstone” levels, such as Dust II, that have minor visual tweaks but that are essentially unchanged and that should let people get a feel for the new gameplay in a familiar setting. There are also maps

Improved Smoke Grenades and Sub-Tick Updates

Another exciting feature of CS2 is the new smoke grenades. Valve has improved the smoke grenades' physics, making them more realistic and useful in gameplay. Players can now use smoke grenades to clear out the smokescreen created by the enemy, giving them a better view of the battlefield. Additionally, the game has added "sub-tick updates," which allow servers to know the precise moment that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a grenade is thrown. This update will significantly reduce server lag and improve hit detection, making the game more enjoyable for players.

Revamped Visuals & Lighting

Valve has also announced that the new game will feature revamped maps, better visuals, UI enhancements, reworked audio, and more. In a video titled "Leveling Up The World," Valve explains that the maps will receive a new look, but experienced players' skills should carry over. The company also talks about the three "tiers" of maps in the game: touchstone levels, upgraded levels, and overhauled levels.

Touchstone levels such as Dust II have minor visual tweaks but are essentially unchanged, allowing players to get a feel for the new gameplay in a familiar setting. Upgraded levels have had Source 2 features added, while overhauled levels have been entirely rebuilt. This feature will make the game feel new and refreshing while still retaining the classic gameplay that made it so popular in the first place.

Limited Test and Available Modes

Valve has stated that they will start a "limited test" on Wednesday, and players will be selected to join it based on factors like recent playtime on Valve's official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing. The selected players will get a notification in the CS:GO main menu that will let them enroll. Players are also allowed to stream their experience and post videos of it, giving those who can't play the game a good look at the improved smoke and lighting effects.

For now, players will only be able to play the limited test on the famous Dust II map in Deathmatch and "unranked competitive matchmaking" modes. However, Valve has stated that other modes and maps will arrive in future test releases. The limited test is also only available on Windows for now, not macOS or Linux, and the FAQ has zero mentions of Valve's Steam Deck handheld.

Collectibles and Banned Accounts

The company says that all the items collected in CS:GO will be available in the new game and will all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials. Additionally, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models. The company also noted that those whose accounts were banned from playing CS:GO would not be able to play CS2 on Valve servers either.

More Features to Come

"The game's full range of new features will be announced at launch, but during the limited testing period, we'll be evaluating a subset of those features to get it ready for the worldwide release," writes Valve spokesperson Kaci Aitchison Boyle. Valve plans on adding many more features to the game, and the company has noted that there's "much more to come" and that it will reveal all of the details of Counter-Strike 2 in just "a few months."

Speculation and Timing

Valve's announcement of the new game comes after weeks of speculation about a potential CS:GO upgrade. Earlier this month, esports journalist Richard Lewis reported that an overhauled CS:GO is in the works. Some users also spotted references to the new game in updates to Nvidia drivers, while PCGamesN found that Valve filed for a CS2 trademark just days before its reveal. The update to the game comes over a decade after the launch of CS:GO and over 20 years after the release of the original CS.

Valve's timing of the announcement is particularly interesting, as it dropped during Epic's State of Unreal event at the 2023 Game Developers Conference. Valve's PC game store and game engine competitor

Let us know what you think below, who is excited about CSGO 2?! I sure am :)