Counter-Strike 2: Legendary multiplayer shooter gets successor in summer

For over 20 years, the hit shooter Counter-Strike has been one of the most important multiplayer and esports games par excellence. The last part of the series, CS:GO, was released 10 years ago. Surprisingly, Valve now announced the official successor with Counter-Strike 2, which wants to inspire with some innovative features.

Counter-Strike 2: All info and details

In the summer of 2023, Counter-Strike 2 wants to establish a new era of multiplayer shooter. Developer Valve speaks full-bodied of the biggest technical innovation in the history of Counter-Strike so far and wants to create a foundation for new features and updates with the new game, which will take hold in the next few years.

Most of the features will not be revealed until the release in the summer, but CS:GO players can already get a taste of the new game in a limited test phase.

One new game element, for example, is reactionary smoke: smoke grenades interact with environments, while you can expose the smoke by firing at it or exploding it, for example.

This should allow the smoke to be used as a new tactical element. Valve has also screwed with the spread, so the smoke should now move through open doors and broken windows or spread down and up stairs.

All calculations in Counter-Strike 2 now run in real time: “Previously, the server calculated the world only in discrete time intervals (in so-called ticks). Thanks to the updated architecture of Counter-Strike 2, servers now know the exact moment when a movement begins, a shot is fired or a grenade is thrown,” reveals the manufacturer.

Graphics update for CS2

Of course, Counter-Strike 2 also gets a new, overhauled graphics framework. You still shouldn’t expect a real graphics highlight, but already known maps have been redesigned and provided with additional details, while the general level of detail has been expanded based on the Source 2 engine.

The developers have also tweaked the special and environmental effects, while the sound effects are now clearer and should better reflect the physical environment.

Sounds very appealing in any case. Counter-Strike 2 is supposed to be released in the summer of 2023, but Valve hasn’t given a concrete date yet. After all, all CS:GO players will be able to enjoy the successor for free. More details can be found on the official Counter-Strike 2 website.