All the rumours and reports are true, a new Counter-Strike version is definitely in the works and it will be released in Summer 2023. The grand daddy of tactical multiplayer games, Counter-Strike is definitely the longest running, showing that is has legs to keep up with new FPS multiplayer games. With the announcement of Counter-Strike 2, even us who have moved on from the original mod of Half Life, are salivating at trying this new version.

Valve just recently unveiled the Counter-Strike 2 for excited players of CS:GO (Global Offensive), however it is just a limited test and by invitation, with the company saying that “Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike's history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come."

Some players were already invited to test the game at Valve’s HQ in Seattle before the announcement of the limited beta test. As already mentioned in earlier reports, it will be using the Source 2 game engine that other Valve games such as Dota Underlords, Half-Life: Alyx and Artifact are already using. With Source 2, gamers will experience improved performance, including enhanced graphics.

For players of CS:GO rest assured that they will have a free upgrade to Counter-Strike 2 when it gets released. But only a privileged set of players will get to have limited test access.

As announced, Valve promises three features that it thinks will be welcomed by players as great improvements:

RESPONSIVE SMOKES

Oh we had fun using smokes during the early years of Counter-Strike but were albeit limited with the graphics technology then. Here is what Valve says about the Responsive Smokes feature:

Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.

TICK RATE NO LONGER MATTERS FOR MOVING, SHOOTING, OR THROWING

“What you see is what you get,” according to the developers. That means whatever you do in game is responsive:

Sub-tick updates are the heart of Counter-Strike 2. Previously, the server only evaluated the world in discrete time intervals (called ticks). Thanks to Counter-Strike 2’s sub-tick update architecture, servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.

As a result, regardless of tick rate, your moving and shooting will be equally responsive and your grenades will always land the same way.

LEVELING UP THE WORLD

Valve promises overhauls and upgrades to maps (hopefully De_Dust map experience will be even more awesome). The examples show the maps have even more vibrant environments.

The overhauled maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up, leveraging all of the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.

These are maps that use new Source 2 lighting, including a physically based rendering system that produces realistic materials, lighting, and reflection.

Source 2 tools will be made available for community map makers to run as they can build, experiment, and iterate maps that they can share for use in the game. Later on during the limited test, Source 2 Item Workshop will be made available.

CS:GO players can migrate their whole inventory to Counter-Strike 2 and will benefit from Source 2. Even stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models whilstand some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models.

HI-DEF VFX

Everything has been re-imagined for Counter-Strike 2, Valve claims as there is an all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more.

ACCURATE AUDIO

Players can expect a more listening experience when playing Counter-Strike 2, especially that they will be glued to their headsets whilst playing the game for long hours. The sounds have been reworked to better reflect the physical environment, be more distinct, and express more game state.

Valve says players should expect some more features as the weeks go by prior to the release. The Limited Test is more focused on a subset of features so than wrinkles will be iron-out before release.

Counter-Strike 2, when released in Summer 2023, will be playable on Windows PC. Other platforms and consoles will follow.