Counter-Strike 2’s release date was scheduled for Summer 2023. But as we get close to the end of the season and the game remains in its Limited Test Beta, it’s safe to say that we’re looking at a Fall 2023 release instead. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming CS2 release date.
Source: Valve
The Timeline So Far
When Counter-Strike 2’s Limited test beta was announced in March 2023, players were informed that they’d be given access to the game based on factors like their community standing or recent time that they’d played on official CS:GO servers. The announcement led to a record-breaking 1.5 million concurrent players in late March. Players were vying for a chance to get into the new content as early as possible.
With several Majors to play through spring and summer 2023, including some of the most prestigious titles in all of Counter-Strike such as IEM Cologne or IEM Dallas, the competitive scene for CS:GO picked up massively. September brought the start of ESL Pro League Season 18, which will run until October 1st 2023. With the anticipated CS2 release date being scheduled for summer 2023, announcements could come at any time.
A Schedule on “Valve Time”
If you’ve played Counter-Strike games over the years, you’ll have probably heard about the community joke for “Valve Time.” The same goes for any Valve game really.
Valve as a studio have a record of releasing dates to the public that end up shifting massively. Sometimes as far as years off, like when Valve’s own Dota 2 was rumoured to release in 2011. It was later updated to be due at the start of 2012, before finally releasing in 2013! For long time Counter-Strike veterans that remember the release of CS:GO in 2013, the beta was delayed more than a month past its initial timeframe of early October.
Valve Time is a tricky thing to measure, but the wait for Counter-Strike 2 feels like an especially long break!
Looking Forwards
Counter-Strike 2’s first major is PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024, held in the Royal Arena. We’ve had plenty of events held here for more than half a decade. This includes several majors like The BLAST Premier Fall Final that took place last November.
With an event like this arranged in advance, it’s a safe bet to assume that at the latest, we’ll all have our hands on the game by then.
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