Counter-Strike 2 is now available on Steam, replacing CS:GO

After months of limited testing, Counter-Strike 2 is now accessible on Steam. The 'biggest technical jump' in the perennial shooter's history, CS2 replaces the original CS:GO and is now available for download on the platform. Running on the Source 2 Engine, which powered the critically acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx, the successor now receives a graphical update with level redesigns, as well as certain technological changes that improve overall gunplay. Interestingly, while Valve never explicitly stated a release date, the official Counter-Strike Twitter account modified its header picture with cryptic lines such as "Dawn of the Final Day" to indicate the game's impending release.

CS2 serves as a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, moving all previously purchased skins and cosmetics to the new edition. All classic maps, including Dust 2, Inferno, Mirage, and others, include lighting upgrades that generate reflections on surfaces like as tiles and puddles, as well as more realistic shadows. The maps were rebuilt from the ground up in Source 2 to suit a modern look – the same tools will be available to community map creators so they can construct and share their own masterpieces. One of the most significant physics-based changes has to be the introduction of volumetric 3D smokes that are extremely reactive to movement, whether it's bullets going through or a nearby explosion that causes the plume to realistically change form. These were previously stationary — like a grayish mass.

pic.twitter.com/SM57ZVCTmI

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 27, 2023

Valve has also included a new sub-tick architecture, which allows official servers to know exactly when you threw a grenade or shot a bullet. Ticks, a discrete time interval feature used in CS:GO, were set to 64hz by default, forcing a large number of ranking players to migrate to unofficial servers with a more responsive 128hz tick rate. Speaking about ranked play, CS2 introduces an entirely new rating system divided into two modes: classic competitive and Premier. The former operates similarly to previously, enabling you to select your preferred map and aim for the greatest elo, progressing from Silver 1 to Global Elite. However, the rankings are now segregated per map, thus you may be a Master Elite on Dust 2 while also being a Gold Nova on Vertigo.

Premier is being promoted as the primary competitive mode, with an active pick-ban system that allows you to prohibit specific maps before the start of a match. So, before entering the major leagues, it's important to learn specific maps in normal ranked mode. After completing 10 placement games, players will be given a numeric skill rating — termed CS Rating — instead of a rank badge to reflect where they rank among their peers, the region, and even globally. As an added benefit, CS2 allows you to return any guns, equipment, or throwables you purchased by mistake, as long as you do so inside the purchase window.

Counter-Strike 2 is now available for free on PC through Steam.

Tags: #cs2 #counterstrike2 #counterstrike #counterstrikego #csgo #steam #technews #gamingnews #techtainmentora #googlenews