Counter-Strike 2: Release date window, Source 2 engine, beta dates & how to play
Counter-Strike 2 has officially been announced as the next chapter of the illustrious franchise. Here’s everything we know about Counter-Strike 2, including its release date window, the engine it will use, beta details, and whether or not players will take their skins and cosmetics with them.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CSGO) is one of the most popular FPS games of all time, with an extremely strong community and esports scene that continues to thrive in 2023 despite releasing all the way back in 2012.
Valve have done an unbelievable job to keep the game going, and they’ve announced that Counter-Strike 2 will completely overhaul and update the famed game. So, with that said, here’s everything we know about CSGO 2.
- Is there a Counter-Strike 2 release date?
- What is Counter-Strike 2?
- When does Counter-Strike 2 beta release?
- Counter-Strike 2 will use Source Engine 2
- What’s new in Counter-Strike 2?
- Will skins transfer from CSGO to Counter-Strike 2?
Is there a Counter-Strike 2 release date?
At the moment, there isn’t a confirmed Counter-Strike 2 release date. However, a release window of Summer 2023 has been confirmed.
Counter Strike 2 is coming Summer 2023 pic.twitter.com/qolWnF935d
— Dexerto Gaming (@DexertoGaming) March 22, 2023
With a Summer 2023 release window, CSGO fans will be eager to test out Counter-Strike 2. While there’s no indication of the specific month, keep an eye out for news in June, July, and August.
What is Counter-Strike 2?
The Counter-Strike team describes Counter-Strike 2 as “an overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience.”
When Counter-Strike 2 arrives this summer it will be considered a free upgrade to CS:GO.
Not only will Counter-Strike 2 update and overhaul existing systems and features in CSGO, but this new chapter will also introduce new elements.
Today we're excited to announce Counter-Strike 2. Counter-Strike 2 is an overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience. First, let's talk about smoke grenades: pic.twitter.com/iTtguRHJ0S
— CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
Counter-Strike 2 beta release date & how to play
The Counter-Strike 2 beta Limited Test is active as of March 22, 2023. Unfortunately, not everyone can access the CSGO 2 Limited Test as players require an invitation to join.
According to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test FAQ page, “Players are selected 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.”
Don’t worry if you haven’t been chosen for the Limited Test right away as the devs confirmed more players will be added over time. If you’ve been chosen for the Limited Test, you will receive a notification on the main menu of CSGO.
Players who receive an invitation must select ENROLL to download the playtest. Once the download is complete, launch CSGO and select Limited Test to try the new iteration.
Counter-Strike 2 will use Source Engine 2
One of the major details that the Counter-Strike 2 announcement blog revealed was that CSGO 2 will be on the Source 2 Engine, which the developers feel will improve the optimization and graphical fidelity of the game.
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“All of the visual effects have been updated in Counter-Strike 2. With Source 2 lighting and particle systems, there’s an all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more.”
This will be a big change for CSGO players, as the current engine dates all the way back to 2004. Players can expect a new and improved look to hit CSGO’s maps, weapons, and various environements.
What’s new in Counter-Strike 2? Map overhauls, smoke changes & servers
CS 2 fans will get to experience extensive map overhauls. This means that classic Counter-Strike maps will arrive with lighting changes, new environments, and features.
You can find out more about the map updates in Counter-Strike 2 in the video above.
Smoke Grenades and how they interact with the map will also receive drastic changes. The devs explained that “Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.”
Another announcement came by way of confirming sub-tick servers. The devs have gone out of their way to emphasize this new addition, even going as far as saying that “Sub-tick updates are the heart of Counter-Strike 2.”
In Counter-Strike 2, “regardless of tick rate, your moving and shooting will be equally responsive and your grenades will always land the same way.”
Will skins transfer from CSGO to Counter-Strike 2?
According to the devs, skins and other in-game cosmetics and items will transfer to Counter-Strike 2.
In the reveal blog for Counter-Strike 2, the devs confirmed that you will be able to “Bring your entire CS:GO inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2.”
This means that player accounts on CSGO will not be deleted, and their inventory will remain intact for the next chapter. This is great news for those who have spent their hard-earned money on Valve’s FPS game, as they will get to keep all of their items.
Stay tuned for more information on CSGO 2 as it’s released, as we’ll be updating this piece with all of the new details.
If you’re more of a Call of Duty player, make sure you check out some of our guides on Modern Warfare 2:
Best Modern Warfare 2 PC settings | Best Modern Warfare 2 controller settings | Best mouse and keyboard settings for Modern Warfare 2 | How to level up fast in Modern Warfare 2 | Best guns in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Assault Rifles in Modern Warfare 2 | When is the next Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 Double XP event? | 10 most popular weapons in Modern Warfare 2 | Best audio settings for Modern Warfare 2
Image Credits: Valve