After much, much speculation, Counter-Strike 2 has finally been revealed. Technically the ninth game in the Counter-Strike franchise, Counter-Strike 2 will have a tough time on its hands to replicate the enormous success of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which launched in 2012.
Thankfully for fans of the series, Valve has also announced a few features which are sure to help Counter-Strike 2 to become successful. Firstly, like CS:GO before it, CS2 is completely free-to-play, so anyone can dive in without having to present money at the door. Secondly, and probably more importantly, Valve has promised that existing CS:GO inventories will also be carried over into CS2.
"Bring your entire CS:GO inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2. Not only will you keep every item you’ve collected over the years, but they’ll all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials. In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models."
As such, it’s probably more accurate to think of CS2 as a Source 2 upgrade for CS:GO, rather than an entirely new game in its own regard. This is going to be important for many players, as it’ll lessen the idea they’re moving over to a completely new game — a daunting prospect for anyone who’s sunk significant time into CS:GO’s decade of life.
But these aren’t the only draws to CS2. Valve has also promised the game will be moving beyond the normal tick rate. So, instead of the world moving at pre-determined intervals, as in the past, CS2’s servers will be able to know exactly when every shot is fired, or where every grenade lands, so the game will feel more responsive and reliable.
Counter-Strike 2 is due to release in the summer of 2023, and limited tests with a limited number of participants are running now. Competition to enter these beta tests are likely to be rampant, and Valve has warned people about scams pretending to be Valve, which offer access to Counter-Strike 2’s beta.