Valve Announces Release of Counter-Strike 2 with Limited Testing Available to Some Players

Valve has declared that they will release Counter-Strike 2 in the summer of 2023, with restricted testing accessible to a few Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players commencing now. Players' eligibility will depend on several factors, such as their recent playing time and standing in their Steam account. Selected players will automatically receive an invitation through CS:GO's main menu. To know more about how to gain access to the Counter-Strike 2 beta, please refer to the CS2 limited testing FAQ.

Furthermore, CS2 will be a free upgrade to CS:GO, and players' CS:GO items will transfer over to the new version of Counter-Strike. This implies that CS2 will replace CS:GO, something that players were uncertain about when the CS2 rumors began.

Alongside the announcement, Valve has also released three videos that tease what players can anticipate from the massive and transformative update of Counter-Strike, which is created using the Source 2 Engine.

The first video, "Leveling Up The World," displays the upgraded maps and graphic overhauls.

The second video, "Moving Beyond Tick Rate," announces that tick rate will no longer matter and that moving and shooting will be equally responsive.

Finally, the third video, "Responsive Smokes," details the new dynamic volumetric nature of smoke grenades.

Community map makers will also have access to Source 2, including the Source 2 Item Workshop, which is available to try out during the Limited Testing period.

Counter-Strike 2 has been the subject of rumors for quite some time, and a report in March indicated that players could expect the CS2 beta in March or early April. This has now been confirmed with Valve's official announcement.