Counter-terrorists win
It’s been a long while since a new Counter-Strike game has been launched. Valve officially announced the second title in the series, right after 1.6, called Counter-Strike 2. It’s currently available for limited testing.
In all seriousness, the game is a direct upgrade for the popular e-sports title Counterstrike Global Offensive. In fact, you could upgrade CSGO to CS2 has improved gameplay, sounds, and graphics.
Also, unlike CSGO, which was purchasable when it was launched, CS2 will be completely FREE. This means, you better prepare for a buttload of microtransactions heading your way.
The new game is based on Valve’s Source 2 engine and is expected to be released around Summer 2023 in the United States (so around June or July). According to its website, the developers are “evaluating a subset of features to shake out any issues before the worldwide release.”
Some gameplay and interactive changes include smoke interactivity. Now weapons like HE grenades and bullets can push away the smoke to give better visibility. There are also lighting improvements which allow for more realistic lighting and colour. What’s more the game’s sub-tick architecture allows the server to instantly recognize when a grenade was thrown or when a firearm was shot so shots will always be accurate regardless of tick rate.
Expect new maps, vehicles, customization, weapons, and more when the update arrives. Hopefully, we won’t be expecting new bugs, glitches, and technical difficulties when the game is released. This is neither an EA nor Ubisoft game after all.
(CounterStrike) Source