The new era of Counter-Strike begins this summer.
Counter-Strike 2 represents the biggest technological leap in the history of the series, enabling the development of new features and updates for the years to come.
All of the game’s new features will be revealed at its official launch this summer, but the road to Counter-Strike 2 begins today with limited testing for selected CS: GO players. During this time, a subset of features will be targeted to identify and fix issues prior to global release.
Counter-Strike 2 is coming this summer and will be a free update to CS: GO, so gear up, hone your skills, and get ready for what lies ahead! Read on to learn more about some of Counter-Strike 2’s Limited Test features.
Dynamic Smoke
Smoke grenades now create dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions. Smoke can now interact with other in-game events, opening up new gameplay possibilities. Bullets and grenades can scatter smoke to briefly clear a line of fire or reduce visibility.
Tick Rate is a thing of the past
Server update rate (so-called tick rate) no longer matters when moving, shooting or throwing grenades. Until now, the server checked the state of the game world at separate intervals, or “ticks” of the server clock. Updates that take less than one such tick are at the heart of Counter-Strike 2, and thanks to this architecture, the servers know the exact moment when a move, a weapon fire or a grenade throw is initiated. This way, regardless of the update frequency, your movement and shooting will be equally smooth, and your grenades will always land in the same way.
Map changes
From improvements to complete rework, maps are now cleaner, brighter and better.
Completely redone
These maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up with all new Source 2 engine rendering tools and features.
EXAMPLE MAP: OVERPASS
Improved
These are maps that use the new Source 2 engine lighting, including a physics-based rendering system that creates realistic materials, lighting and reflections.
EXAMPLE MAP: NUKE
Your items in a whole new light
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.
HI-DEF VFX
Gameplay Visuals
In Counter-Strike 2 the most critical gameplay visuals have been redesigned with readability in mind. Bullet impacts can be easily viewed at a distance, and directional blood impacts (that fade over time) give you more information as you move through the world.
Environment Effects
Experience completely reauthored explosions, fire, C4 lighting, and more. Leveraging the Source 2 Engine and modern hardware, environmental effects in Counter-Strike 2 feature improved visual fidelity and greater consistency.
UI Enhancements
The UI in Counter-Strike 2 has gotten a complete overhaul, including fresh visual effects throughout the HUD. Not only do these improvements look nice, they also communicate important game state.
Accurate audio
Reworked, Rebalanced, Reverbed
Counter-Strike 2 sounds have been reworked to better reflect the physical environment, be more distinct, and express more game state. They have also been rebalanced for a more comfortable listening experience.
There’s more to come
The Limited Test only evaluates a subset of Counter-Strike 2’s features, so that major issues can be resolved before the summer. But there’s much more to come. In just a few months we’ll reveal all of the details of Counter-Strike 2, and we can’t wait to share it with you.