Valve officially revealed Counter-Strike 2 this week, confirming some rumors that the company was working on the game. It’s destined for a Summer launch date, and Valve is even inviting a very limited amount of players to test it before the game’s official release.
While Counter-Strike 2 is still a few months away, Valve is dropping a whole lot of details about what to expect for players. First and foremost is that it’ll be a free upgrade for CS:GO players. If you already own CS:GO, then you get CS2 for free when it launches later this year.
When it comes to gameplay, Valve has overhauled just about everything, using its Source 2 engine to give CS2 a hefty visual upgrade. All items acquired by players in CS:GO over the years will carry over to the new game. And they’ll look better than ever with updated visuals while benefiting from the new high-resolution models and enhanced lighting effects that Source 2 engine offers. But those changes are just the tip of the iceberg.
Counter-Strike 2 gets a massive visual upgrade
Valve’s Source 2 engine is at the heart of these visual upgrades and players will certainly notice once they get their hands on the game. Maps for instance, will feature surfaces with realistic materials and lighting. A huge change comes from the new way smoke grenades react. They’re now dynamic volumetric objects that can react to gunfire, explosions, and the environment.
For example, you could throw a smoke grenade and after the smoke expands, an enemy player could toss a grenade towards the smoke and blow a portion of it away to disperse it. Smoke also now reacts in a more lifelike way. Expanding more naturally down long corridors and filling up rooms while seeping out of broken windows and door cracks.
There’s also a significant boost to environment effects from things like C4 lighting, fire, and explosions. Valve is also making the Source 2 tools available for community map makers. Which should make it easier to create stunning levels for the community to enjoy. The limited beta test is already underway for select community players, so you may want to check and see if you’ve got access. It’s not clear if this game will work on Steam Deck or not, but CS:GO is labeled as playable so there’s a chance CS2 will be as well.
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