What we know about Counter-Strike 2: release date, beta test date, ticrete changes, updated matchmaking, new engine
Elen StelmakhIt looks like it's happening! After five years of community discussion and speculation, we've reached the point where Valve can't get away. According to numerous rumors - and they come from a variety of credible sources, including professional players - the transition of CS:GO to the new Source 2 engine will take place in the coming weeks.
Of course, that initially information was treated with an excessive amount of skepticism, because in recent years, the community got tired of the rumors and arguments about the transition of everyone's favorite game on the new technical architecture.
And no one really understood what this means, and how much CS:GO will depart from the original. But now, it seems, the time "X" has come, as various sources of information about the upcoming changes, the release of Counter-Strike 2, the beginning of beta testing and other innovations that are preparing to introduce Valve extremely convincing.
In this regard, we have tried to collect all the information that has the right to life and with a high probability it will be true. In other words we propose to get acquainted with all the facts we know about Counter-Strike 2.
What, where, when?
New round of rumors about CS:GO transitioning to Source 2 engine started in early March, when a few datamainers discovered that the latest drivers for NVIDIA included game profile page for "Counter-Strike 2". Given history, such news has always been accompanied by major game leaks.
In the immediate aftermath, several reliable sources have emerged with one voice claiming that Counter-Strike 2, aka the Source 2 engine for CS:GO, will be released in March. A number of dataminer sources, including GabeFollower, have also provided rumours that Valve has been testing the upcoming major update since last December with the help of third-party QA companies in Europe and the US.
Furthermore, some insiders have also shed light on information concerning the professional gaming community. According to their reports, prominent cyber-sports players have been invited to Valve's headquarters in Seattle to test Counter-Strike 2 in person.
According to the next wave of rumours, open, exactly open beta testing of the new engine will start in mid-March. Tentatively, the update will be available for download on Steam as early as 15 March. For his part, well-known eSports journalist Richard Lewis added that the launch deadline is April 1.
How Counter-Strike 2 will work
Compiling all the rumors and data, we can conclude that Valve is going to take a similar path that was followed in 2015 when transferring Dota 2 to the same game engine.
Thus, the developers are going to present a kind of CS:GO Reborn with a choice of three options: play regular CS:GO, CS:GO on Source 2, and a test build for developers. It's likely that Valve will be testing the game for a few months, as it was with the same Dota 2.
What changes will CS:GO undergo
Perhaps the most painful question, which worries many players, concerns the future optimization of CS:GO. However, it should be understood that the migration of the game to the new engine is purely a technical formality that will give the development team more opportunities for further updates. In other words, the Source 2 architecture is much more convenient than its progenitor, which will significantly reduce the time and simplify the process of releasing patches.
Probably, Counter-Strike 2 won't become a new game in terms of graphics and mechanics, but from the technical point of view, everyone who is in any way connected with the development will get a brand new product without constant crutches in the code.
As for the changes that are likely to appear in CS:GO 2, it is worth noting the change of official servers' ticratings, as reported by several insiders. According to Richard Lewis, Valve will raise the ticret to 128 to compete with VALORANT. Furthermore, according to the same journalist, the game will receive a significant update to the player selection system.
Touching on finer details, we should expect noticeable improvements in optimisation, especially on the more demanding maps, and a clean-up of messy or unnecessary code. In addition, developers should improve multi-core processing and tweak a number of other graphical parameters.
We should not forget about physics, which will undergo some changes in Counter-Strike 2 and also the stability of the game itself will be improved.
The whole source code development kit (SDK) will also get a significant boost and optimisation with the update, especially in the form of the Hammer editor for Source 2. In addition, developers will be able to use the Vulkan API and new DirectX 11 or 12 rendering APIs.
Thus, the transition of CS:GO to Source 2 is more of a technical necessity than a desire to make the game prettier. However, Counter-Strike 2 will definitely be a different game in terms of experience. At least, during the first weeks, it is possible that there will be critical bugs, which Valve will spend all its energies to fix.
Is Counter-Strike 2 worth the wait?
As stated above, the transition of CS:GO to the new game engine will untie the hands of developers, who in the future may release updates more often and pamper the players with content.
And the update, referring to insiders, will not affect the existing skins in any way, as the work on the transfer of data is actually completed. Moreover, a number of competitive maps have already been transferred to Source 2, which somehow pushes the date of the official release update.
The only interesting thing about the future changes is the following. The Paris majors are two months away and the RMR tournaments are a month away. How and when does Valve plan to apply all its innovations to the pro scene.
However, we will know the answers to all these questions very soon. And if the hype wave justifies itself, we will test Counter-Strike 2 in the coming weeks.
The legacy of Counter-Strike, affectionately known as CS, in the world of competitive gaming is nothing short of legendary. From its humble origins as a mod for Half-Life, it has evolved into a global sensation, attracting millions of players and fostering a thriving esports community. Alongside the success of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), the world of CS2 trading sites emerged. These platforms provide a virtual marketplace where players can engage in the buying, selling, and trading of in-game items, such as weapon skins and stickers. This virtual economy has become an integral part of the CS experience, enhancing its depth and appeal.
Elen Stelmakh is a creative individual dedicated to advancing gaming culture through articles and visual design. As a full-time EGamersWorld author and designer for a gaming website, Elen not only creates content but also infuses it with energy and creativity.