FPS fans, there’s great news: Counter Strike 2 is set to launch this year as a major revamp of the beloved CS: GO. It will include map updates, snazzy new smoke grenade technology, a fresh approach to tick rate, and much more. All of this is feasible because Counter-Strike 2 has switched to the Source 2 engine, which was previously used for the VR game Half-Life: Alyx. Counter-Strike 2 has entered its Limited Test phase and won’t be available to the public until Summer. However, Valve has already released a full FAQ and some handy videos that break down some of the key features of the game.

Counter-Strike is among the most popular gun games with a loyal fan base for over two decades. The first version was introduced in 1999 on Windows and the franchise has captured millions of players around the world. It started as a modification of Half-Life and was acquired by Half-Life developer Valve in 2000. Up to the present, there have been 4 versions introduced worldwide which are Counter-Strike, Condition Zero, Source, and the latest Global Offensive in 2012. Reportedly, Counter-Strike will launch around June to September 2023. Here is everything we have known about the upcoming title.  

Counter-Strike 2 newsSource: Valve

Fortunately, the game will be a free upgrade of the current Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Its community of players is already huge and loyal, marking CS as one of the most outstanding game titles in the FPS world. Apparently, the game will be available for PCs for obvious reasons. However, whether it will be playable on other consoles such as PS or Xbox is unknown. It is going to be a big update from the predecessor. 

Counter-Strike 2 release dateSource: Valve

Currently, a beta version is now being tested by selected CS: GO players. The end date is not yet to be confirmed. However, Valve has teased us with the latest trailer that shows the potential gameplay, characters, and sets. After 11 years of waiting, fans and the public all expect a lot in the upcoming sequel. You might now see the trailer yourself on Valve’s official YouTube channel. Most viewers are excited and cannot wait to try it out once the game is officially released. Moreover, there might be more trailers in the future to tease fans of this series. 

The gameplay takes a huge part in the game’s success. Therefore, the fundamentals should be kept including fast-paced, strategic, team-based FPS combat with an emphasis on objective-driven missions. Apparently, some huge adjustments have been made including the way smoke grenades behave. Smoke is now similar to an interactive cloud that still fills the space. However, bullets might punch holes and help reveal the enemies behind the cloud. 

Valve is introducing a major change in Counter-Strike 2 with “sub-tick updates.” The game’s servers will instantly reflect when you shoot, move, or throw something in-game, which will make the game feel much fairer when competing online. Valve says sub-tick updates mean that “tick rate no longer matters for moving, shooting, or throwing.” This is a bold statement since tick rate is highly important in FPS games, as it refers to how often the server updates to reflect in-game actions such as moving and shooting.

A higher tick rate is better, as it means more updates and faster reflection of those actions in-game, which can help combat peeker’s advantage. With sub-tick updates, Counter-Strike 2’s servers remove the waiting time for those actions between ticks present in CS: GO, making the game much more enjoyable to play. While the game has just entered its Limited Test phase and is set to launch in the Summer, the introduction of sub-tick updates is just one of the many exciting new features that players can expect from the highly anticipated game.

Counter-Strike 2 2023Source: Valve

There will also be improvements in the game’s visuals. Specifically, bullet impacts will now be more obvious from a short or far distance and blood splatters will be directional, showing you the angle someone was shot from. Therefore, the game is more aesthetic and real-looking. 

In Counter-Strike 2, smoke grenades are getting a major upgrade. They will now interact with the game’s environment, which means that they will bend around objects and fill tighter spaces, making them more effective. The smoke will grow to cover the entire space when used in a narrow corridor, for example.

The new smoke system in Counter-Strike 2 is much more dynamic than in CS: GO. Players can now split the smoke using bullets, revealing lines of sight through the cloud to spot enemies. Additionally, chunks of smoke can be blasted away with grenades, eliminating a key safety net for opponents moving through the map. These changes are sure to make the use of smoke grenades even more strategic and exciting in the game.

Other elements such as audio and inventory are going to be changed as well. After the Limited Test is over, hopefully, the official game will launch soon so that we might all experience the latest CS version. If you found this article interesting, do not hesitate to visit our website daily for more news and updates.