The Counter-Strike community is in for a surprise, as a recent report suggests that the much-speculated Counter-Strike 2 engine update will be released soon.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: Go), a staple in many peoples’ Steam gaming libraries, may be in for a major overhaul, despite its incredible success. The widespread rumours of an upcoming massive update that will revolutionize the game may actually be true, as confirmed by sources cited in a recent report from journalist Richard Lewis. According to the report, the highly-anticipated update referred to as “Counter-Strike 2” is slated to release its beta version sometime in March or early April.
It is unclear whether the original Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the new version will coexist or if Valve intends to merge the two into one product — a tactic employed by Overwatch. It’s also probable that the shift to the Source 2 engine will push up the minimum spec to run the game, although time will tell on this front.
In addition to running on the Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is expected to feature 128 tick servers — a feature that the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community has been clamouring for, according to Lewis. The new matchmaking system will also receive an update, bringing it closer to the level of external services such as FACEIT. With the initial release being a beta, it is hard to say how many of these features will be present at launch.
Lewis also expresses concern about the effect the release of Counter-Strike 2 will have on the professional Counter-Strike scene, which has grown considerably since the introduction of CS:GO over a decade ago. Initially, the community was split between CS 1.6 and CS Source, with few making the transition to CS:GO. Now that the professional scene is completely dedicated to one game, there is a possibility that the transition to a new game will be easier and mandated by Valve.
Alternatively, the community may decide to split once again, resulting in a divided pro scene. Nevertheless, it is improbable that Counter-Strike 2 will become the primary game played at the professional level right away. Valve will likely ensure the game is stable before making any significant changes.
While these remain rumours until confirmed by Valve, it could be an exciting move that will lead to the hugely popular game seeing a resurgence, although time will tell. CGMagazine has reached out to Valve for comment, and we will update the story accordingly if we hear back.
