CS2: Counter-Strike 2 Very Close To Release
Those who have been following CS:GO for a while will know how many times the alarm has falsely been sounded, but this time CS2 really seems very close to release. A host of data leaks along with reports from reputable sources are indicating that Counter-Strike 2 is launching later this month.
Speculation started when the official CS:GO Twitter account updated its banner. This isn’t something that normally generates massive hype cycles, but this change along with interesting leaks made public by the likes of @gabefollower indicating that NVIDIA drivers had added support for csgos2.exe and cs2.exe meant that the rumor mill started spinning up again.
Richard Lewis, one of the most reputable and trustworthy journalists in the Counter-Strike scene, has also reported that Counter-Strike 2 is real and ‘around the corner’.
According to Lewis, sources close to the the game’s development team have been saying that a new version has been in the works for quite some time and that it has already been tested by a group of professional players who were flown out to Valve HQ.
The most noteworthy change will obviously be the move to the Source 2 engine. Moving away from the old Source engine means that it will be easier to optimize the game for today’s machines. What this move precisely entails for the graphics and behavior of the game is unknown as of yet, but chances are that Valve will not want to compromise the competitive integrity of the game’s flourishing esports scene by introducing a big number of new gameplay features and behaviors for CS2.
In addition to the engine swap, the game will also feature an improved matchmaking system that will eliminate the need for third party services such as FaceIt and ESEA. CS2 would also feature 128 tick servers, something that has been requested by the community for a long time now.
Pictured above: the current header of the CS:GO Twitter page.
Little is known about the specifics. It is speculated that the move will be similar to the Dota 2 Reborn update, where the game had two clients available in order to more easily fix bugs and test new features without disrupting the main game before ultimately being merged into one client. There is little to no evidence to suggest that Counter-Strike 2 will be a direct sequel that introduces new maps, weapons, gameplay features, and the likes and is meant to replace CS:GO. Such a move would be risky to say the least, given that CS:GO is still breaking all-time player records and has a skin trading scene worth billions of dollars.
In terms of what to expect from CS2, it can be a good idea to temper your expectations. If the Dota 2 Reborn update pattern is to be followed, many of the changes will be under the hood rather than on the player side of things. A new operation and/or new content may or not accompany the release of CS2, but nothing on that has been leaked or announced just yet. Nevertheless, the change to the Source 2 engine is one that has been awaited for a very long time by Counter-Strike fans, so exciting times are ahead for fans of the franchise.
CS2 is set to be announced later this month, with April 1st (we know how this sounds) “at the outside”, meaning it’s not projected to be launched any later than that.
