Counter-Strike 2 announced: Release period and first trailer are here – test phase has already started

• Counter-Strike 2 will be released in Summer 2023.
• Maps and various effects are being reworked.

Counter-Strike is one of the world’s most famous shooter brands and now developer Valve has announced the second part. The new game is called Counter-Strike 2 and will be released in Summer 2023 as a free upgrade from CS:GO.

Maps are being overhauled with the Source 2 engine. You can look forward to a new graphic. The developers want to improve various effects and also the sound. To present the first innovations, Valve has published a few videos.

In Counter-Strike, Valve will no longer calculate the game world in time intervals (“ticks”). According to the developers, the servers would know the exact time of each action, whether it was a shot or a movement. The timing is always the same.

The second video shows you how Valve is redesigning Counter-Strike 2’s maps. Sometimes greatly improved lighting effects and reflections come into their own.

The use of smoke will probably also be important in the new shooter. It spreads realistically and reacts to light sources. Every player should be able to see smoke clouds equally, regardless of position.

Test phase already started

Valve has already started a limited test phase and invites CS:GO players to try out the new shooter. The developers determine who is invited. Factors to be selected include game time in CS:GO, some kind of trust score and Steam account status.

When Valve announces a release date, you’ll find it in our game release list. There you will also find out which other game highlights will appear soon.

Elsewhere we will continue to tell you which free first-person shooters are also worth playing.