Valve officially unveils Counter-Strike 2 with limited beta release starting today

After weeks of speculation, Valve has now officially confirmed that it plans to launch Counter-Strike 2 this year. The company unveiled the new game with some videos, a blog post and some social media updates.

The new game promises overhauls to every system, content, and aspect of the Counter-Strike gaming experience. This includes a significant upgrade to the latest version of Valve’s own Source 2 engine. Counter-Strike 2 will have a drastic improvement in graphical quality with sharper textures, more realistic lighting, and additional geometry.

One of the most significant upgrades to gameplay in Counter-Strike 2 is the enhanced functionality of smoke grenades. In the new game, smoke grenades exist as volumetric 3D objects, making them more responsive to gameplay elements and enabling players to temporarily manipulate sightlines with bullets and explosions. Smoke particles now work with the unified lighting system, allowing for more realistic light and colour.

Counter-Strike 2’s server architecture is also getting overhauled to support sub-tick updates, which will make the game feel more responsive. The enhanced sub-tick update architecture of Counter-Strike 2 will allow servers to accurately predict when a player moves, a shot is fired or a grenade is thrown. Regardless of tick rate, player movement and shooting will be equally responsive, and grenades will always land the same way.

Counter-Strike 2’s level design team is implementing a three-tiered approach that comprises of Touchstone maps, Full Overhaul maps, and Upgrade maps. The Full Overhaul maps have undergone complete reconstruction, utilising the latest Source 2 tools and rendering features. The Upgrade maps incorporate the new Source 2 lighting system, which includes physically-based rendering that produces realistic lighting, reflections, and materials. Touchstone Maps are the classic maps that offer a solid foundation for players to evaluate gameplay changes from CSGO to Counter-Strike 2. While they have undergone lighting and character read improvements, they remain largely unchanged.

Other notable changes in Counter-Strike 2 include UI improvements, reworked gameplay visuals, reauthored environmental effects and improved audio. Valve is inviting players to the limited beta based on factors like recent playtime and Steam account standing and has promised to share more information about Counter-Strike 2 closer to release.

Valve wrote in a blog post, “The Limited Test only evaluates a subset of Counter-Strike 2’s features so that major issues can be resolved before the summer. But there’s much more to come. In just a few months we’ll reveal all of the details of Counter-Strike 2, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”

The Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test is now live. Detailed information around the Limited Test can be found here: https://t.co/X4EQGkDxSI

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023

The full version of the game released in the summer and will be a free upgrade for players who already own Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Any cosmetics collected in CSGO will carry over to the new game. Moreover, due to the upgraded graphical fidelity and lighting system, CSGO weapon skins will look even better.