In a post commemorating the 20th anniversary of Steam, Valve has divulged that Counter-Strike 2, the much-anticipated sequel to its popular first-person shooter, is currently in beta and will be released shortly. This follows months of speculation after Valve initially hinted at a summer release but provided no updates afterward.
“Counter-Strike 2 entered into beta (and launches soon),” the company stated, also noting that this year has seen a massive Steam Client update and that there are now over 11,000 titles either verified or playable on the new Steam Deck.
Fans were taken by surprise when Counter-Strike 2 was initially announced in March. Prior to the official announcement, clues regarding the game’s development were subtly indicated in Nvidia’s driver updates, although Valve did not comment at that time.
Although the name may imply a new installment, the game is actually designed as a free upgrade for Global Offensive, the current version of Counter-Strike. The update is described as “the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history,” according to Valve.
The game is engineered on Valve’s Source 2 engine and will incorporate substantial gameplay changes, such as modifications to smoke grenades and “sub-tick updates.” These updates will allow servers to register precise moments like when a shot is fired or a grenade is thrown.
While Valve has remained tight-lipped about specific details, it’s expected that more information will be released in the upcoming weeks. The company promises that this year “isn’t quite over” and that there’s more to look forward to in the gaming world.