The whispers were true: Valve has just unveiled Counter-Strike 2, announcing a restricted beta that would only be accessible to a small portion of the game’s fanbase. The sequel, according to the developers, will completely rework every system, piece of content, and aspect of the Counter-Strike gameplay.
As anticipated, Valve is upgrading the game to the most recent iteration of its proprietary Source 2 engine, resulting in a notable improvement in visual fidelity.
What is changing with Counter-Strike 2?
Sharper graphics, more realistic lighting, and more geometry will all be incorporated into the game. According to Valve, the Counter-Strike 2 level design team is using a three-tiered strategy. The only changes made to “touchstone” maps like Dust 2 will be to improve their lighting and readability. While this is going on, “Upgrade” maps will benefit from Source 2’s improved lighting pipeline for more realistic-looking materials and reflections. Finally, Valve intends to completely redesign a few levels, utilizing the full potential of its engine.
Improvements to the gameplay will also come with the switch to Source 2, starting with the operation of smoke grenades in particular. Smoke grenades will now exist as volumetric 3D objects within the game environment, according to Valve, making them responsive to other gameplay components and enabling users to temporarily alter sightlines with bullets and explosions.
The server infrastructure of the game is also being updated by Valve. It states that Counter-Strike 2 will include sub-tick updates, a function the developer believes will enable the game’s servers to be aware of a player’s movements, weapon fires, and grenade throws in real-time. Theoretically, this ought to make the new entry feel like Counter-most Strike’s responsive version to date.
Counter-Strike 2 will be a free update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive when the game’s main edition launches this summer. Your CS:GO cosmetics collection will transfer to the next game (and look better than ever). Those who have recently played the game and who have a good Steam account standing are among the criteria Valve uses to select them for the limited beta. Closer to release, the studio promised to provide additional details regarding Counter-Strike 2.
Moreover, the release of Counter-Strike 2 and the engine Source 2 is also significant in terms of the insight it offers into the future games of Valve. Being the first game to be developed by Source 2, the new visual and technical features in Counter-Strike 2 will show players glimpses of the potential of other games that are going to be developed by the new game engine of Valve.
If you want to further check out the contents of the release, or see if you are able to join the limited test, check out our article to learn how: How to get Counter Strike 2 limited test? If you have any further questions about the limited test, you can see Steam Support’s FAQ page right here. As Valve chose a limited number of players to test the current version of the game, the criteria consist of conditions like recent playtime on Valve’s official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing. If you are one of the lucky and committed Valve players, see if you enjoy the coming update and let your friends know about the new features.
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