It feels like just yesterday that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive launched, a massive update for the Counter-Strike world that ended up taking a few years to really find its feet.In fact, it's been pretty much a decade, making it high time that a new version of the hugely popular tactical shooter came along, even as GO breaks concurrent player records on Steam. Here are all the details we know about Counter-Strike 2.

Counter-Strike 2 announcement

Counter-Strike 2 was rumoured heavily in early 2023, and was announced fairly abruptly by Valve in late March 2023, so we didn't have to wait long for things to come to fruition.

This confirmed players' hopes but also unveiled a whole host of technical upgrades that we'll get into further down, on an official site that makes for interesting reading..

Counter-Strike 2 release date and limited test

Counter-Strike 2 isn't really working with a release date at the moment, but that doesn't mean it's not playable. The game has been put straight into a limited test phase.

You can basically think of this as an even more tightly limited closed beta that players are being invited to take part in if they play enough Counter-Strike and have a good reputation on Steam.

This will widen out over time, before the game is finally ready for a full launch, in a process that very much mirrors how Global Offensive came out years ago. That launch should come sometime in Summer 2023, according to Valve.

Counter-Strike 2 platforms

While Counter-Strike might be a hugely popular franchise, it's only ever found really lasting success on PC (and Mac), with its twitchy and reactive playstyle at home on a mouse and keyboard.

While it's possible that Valve could experiment with a console release, we'd be hugely surprised if that was the case - like its newer competitor, Valorant, Counter-Strike is really a PC game and as such that'll be the only place to really play it.

Of course, that does mean that it'll probably work on the Steam Deck, for those who have one.

Counter-Strike 2 gameplay

You can expect a huge amount of continuity when Counter-Strike 2 is unveiled - it's going to be very much the same core game running on newer tech.

So, you'll still be on a small team battling in tight maps that encourage tactical flexibility. You'll earn money through rounds to let you buy upgraded weaponry, all of which has high recoil and extreme lethality.

Whether you're rescuing or guarding a hostage, or seeking to plant or defuse a bomb, it's a tense and careful affair.

The new game runs on Source Engine 2, which will allow it to reach further graphically and in performance terms, ideal for those with gaming rigs seeking totally fluid gameplay.

That means Valve has already been able to show off some major improvements that are present in Counter-Strike 2, like new reactive and volumetric smokes that can be affected by grenades and bullets.

Another short showcase demonstrates the major upgrades that Valve has made visually to its maps, improving visibility and sightlines, upping the contrast and making things much clearer and more attractive.

We're hoping for improvements to the replay system, along with improvements to matchmaking - Valve has already shown off what it calls sub-tick updates that should stop you from getting lag regardless of your connection.

There are also new visual updates to flames, blood spatters and much more, along with major UI enhancements to make moving around menus a lot easier.

Wil Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skins carry over?

It's been confirmed that all skins and cosmetics from Global Offensive will indeed be carried over to Counter-Strike 2, some of them with upgraded fidelity.

After all, Valve makes a huge amount of money from the cosmetics market in Counter-Strike circles, so wiping the slate clean would have caused plenty of upset.

Since the game is only moving from an older version of the Source engine, this also shouldn't be too technically challenging, from what we can tell.

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