After years of rumors, leaks, and constant fan speculation, Counter-Strike 2 is finally coming but many are still speculating about the CS2 release date.
Valve made the shocking announcement that Counter-Strike 2 has been in development for some time and is almost ready to release. They followed this up by uploading 3 videos to YouTube:
- Counter-Strike 2: Responsive Smokes
- Counter-Strike 2: Leveling Up the World
- Counter-Strike 2: Moving Beyond Tick Rate
These 3 videos gave fans a sneak peek at what CS2 has in store for them. For example, the ‘Responsive Smokes’ showcased the brand-new CS2 smoke grenade systems that will allow players to eliminate smoke the same way they can eliminate fire on the maps.
That’s barely scratching the surface, though, as there’s a whole lot more to learn about CS2. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll definitely want to stick around and read through the rest of this guide to discover those all-important details about CS2.
Counter-Strike 2 Official Release Date
For now, here’s what we know: CS2 will officially release in Summer 2023. Valve hasn’t provided an exact date yet — but you can expect them to do this soon. Industry analysts and fans expect that CS2 will release at some point in July, though, as this will give players enough time to enjoy CS2 before the summer is over. In the meantime, if you have access to the beta make sure to check out our post about the best CS2 settings for optimal performance.
What Platforms Will Counter-Strike 2 Be On?
CS2 has been announced for:
- Steam
- macOS
- steamOS (Linux)
What this means is that you’ll be able to play CS2 on either Windows or Mac. Just make sure that your chosen platform has all the latest software updates when CS2 releases so that the gameplay runs as smoothly as possible. Also, don’t forget to upgrade your internet so that you have the best connection possible for online multiplayer matches.
A lot of fans want to know whether Counter-Strike 2 will be made available on the highly popular Steam Deck. Although it’s not officially confirmed yet, it’s almost guaranteed that CS2 will be available on the Steam Deck due to the fact that it’s going to be available via the Steam platform. Sadly, CS2 hasn’t been announced for mobile or tablet. This will be frustrating news for all the mobile gamers out there. However, it’s possible that Valve will eventually reveal in the future that CS2 is coming to mobile devices. Fingers-crossed.
Will Counter-Strike 2 Replace CS:GO?
To the shock of many players, it was announced by Valve that CS2 will officially replace CS: GO in your Steam library when the game officially releases. However, it’s not known whether old patches of CS: GO will be available so that you can still technically play it.
In the bigger picture, this means that it’ll be soon time to wave bye-bye to CS: GO as you know it, as it won’t be a separate game from CS2. Instead, CS2 will completely replace it. All of the old maps will receive much-needed facelifts and upgrades, but the general layout of the maps will remain the same, which is good news for the players who are already feeling nostalgic for CS:GO.
Will Counter-Strike 2 Be Free?
The short and sweet answer is yes — CS2 will be free!
Just like CS: GO, Valve is making CS2 free-to-play. Naturally, you’ll still be to spend money on CS2 by purchasing in-game items. Currently, it’s not known what in-game items will be made available to buy.
When is the Next Counter-Strike 2 Beta Wave?
These days, beta versions of popular upcoming games are released so that fans can test out the gameplay and get a feel for the new mechanics — and this is exactly what will happen with CS2.
There’s already been one initial wave of beta testing for CS2 that took place back in March 2023 after the initial CS2 announcement. Now, it’s expected that the next CS2 beta wave will come at the end of May or the start of June. It’s recommended that fans keep trying to log in so that they might get lucky and be able to test out CS2. Don’t worry if you aren’t one of the lucky players that get to play the CS2 beta, as only a very small number of people get this opportunity (during the first wave, it was 25 players). Instead, you’ll simply have to wait until the official CS2 release in summer 2023, when the game will be smooth, bug-free, and ready to go!
Counter-Strike 2 New Features
The release of CS2 would be pointless if it didn’t come with new features. Thankfully, Valve has confirmed that CS2 will be jam-packed with new and exciting features that’ll have you glued to your PCs throughout the remainder of 2023.
So, what new CS2 features can you look forward to? Here are some of the best ones that we know about:
- Source 2 game engine
- Crosshair follows gun recoil
- New gun models
- New gun skins
- A fresh user interface
- The match ends if a cheater is detected
- Responsive smoke grenades
- Updated audio
- Updated old maps
- New CS2 maps
Valve isn’t messing around here — that’s an awesome goodie bag of treats for CS2 players to enjoy! From new gun models to responsive smoke grenades, it’s everything Counter-Strike players have been asking for and more. Plus, let’s not forget that there are still plenty of features that we don’t know about yet. What else has Valve got up its sleeve? We’ll have to wait until the official summer of 2023 to find out.
Final Thoughts
Counter-Strike 2 will take over the gaming world when it drops this summer. It will be a cultural event that’ll go down in the history books — and you certainly won’t want to miss out on it. Not to mention, the release of CS2 will also shake up the competitive Counter-Strike scene, as the ESL Pro League and future CS Majors will have to adapt to the brand-new CS2 gameplay.
Remember, keep checking back here over the coming months for updated information surrounding the CS2 release date, new in-game features, and everything else in between.
From recent reports, CS2 match betting will be starting around March 2024 and as soon as that is available you’ll find some of the best CS odds here at Thunderpick.
