Home » News » Counter-Strike 2 is Real, Limited Test Begins Today
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We all know Valve struggles to count to 3, since Half-Life 3 is nowhere to be seen, but some of us wondered if it forgot how to count to 2. Well, those jokes can be tossed in the garbage as Counter-Strike 2 has been officially announced and a limited test for the game kicks off today. There were some rumors creeping around the internet that an announcement was imminent and Valve confirmed Counter-Strike 2 will release sometime this summer. Best of all? It’s a free upgrade to CS:GO.
Based on the information Valve has released so far — and you can watch three videos highlighting some of these changes below — Counter-Strike 2 adds “game-changing” smoke grenades that actually interact with the environment, overhauls maps with upgraded visuals and audio, as well as a sub-tick update architecture so regardless of tick rate, moving and shooting will be equally responsive.
When Counter-Strike 2 actually goes live, everyone will be able to bring their entire CS:GO inventory with them, so all those items and skins you’ve collected over the years won’t be lost. Those items will also benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials, so they’ll get a visual upgrade as well. If you’re wondering why you don’t have access to Counter-Strike 2, Valve had this to say in a tweet:
Players are selected for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team, including (but not limited to) recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing.
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About Jason Siu
With over 20 years in online publishing, Jason Siu is the Community Director at Autoverse Studios, where he also contributes to the design and development of Auto Legends. His extensive background includes serving as Content Director at VerticalScope and writing about cars for prominent sites like AutoGuide, The Truth About Cars, EV Pulse, FlatSixes, and Tire Authority. As a co-founder of Tunerzine.com and former West Coast Editor of Modified Magazine, Jason has also authored two books for CarTech Books. In his spare time, he founded FullCleared to channel his passion for gaming, with a particular fondness for RPGs.
