Counter-Strike 2 Is Officially Coming This Summer To Replace CS:GO

Valve is finally ready to sunset "CS:GO," but before that happens, the studio has announced its successor. Say hello to "Counter-Strike 2," which is available to a handful of lucky souls starting today as part of a Limited Test. For now, the studio is not revealing a lot of technical details but has only promised to spill the beans when the game officially launches later this summer. The best news, however, is that "Counter-Strike 2" will be served to existing "CS:GO" players as a free upgrade.

Built atop the in-house Source 2 Engine, "Counter-Strike 2" promises to take environmental interactivity to the next level. Valve claims that the game's UI has been completely overhauled, the sound system has been reworked for added comfort, and the visual consistency has also been enhanced. The studio says "Counter-Strike 2" will serve an "all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more." Maps have been reimagined from scratch with improved rendering, lighting and reflections get a realism boost, and the weaponry has been upgraded, as well.

During the early phase of the Limited Test, the game will only let you engage in Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive matchmaking on the Dust2 area, but over time, more modes, maps, and game tricks will be added. For now, if you hope to join the limited test, unfortunately, there's no application page for that. Valve will be selecting the lucky testers based on criteria like Steam ranking, trust factor, and the net playtime on Valve's official servers. In a nutshell, if you've been a loyal player without any strikes on your player resume, your chances are realistic. 

Those who get selected will get a notification in their "CS:GO" dashboard. Just in case you're wondering, all your "CS:GO" inventory will be carried over to "Counter-Strike 2" for the testing period, but any further modifications won't be allowed once you start with the upcoming game. However, XP earned in "Counter-Strike 2" test phase will reflect on your "CS:GO" profile. Notably, the selected players will be free to stream and share their "Counter Strike 2" sessions online during the test phase months ahead of the public release.