After months of agonizing anticipation, Valve has finally released Counter-Strike 2 to the world. The game has been in Closed Beta for over six months, with a steady stream of updates arriving in that time. We’ve seen maps updated, movement refined, and gunplay perfected. Now, after 11 years of CS:GO, Counter-Strike is finally played on the Source 2 engine.
Credit: Valve
The Path To Counter-Strike 2
It has been clear for some time now that Valve has been preparing for the full release of Counter-Strike 2. The developer originally touted a Summer 2023 release date, which was missed without a mention. Recently, Valve has been ramping things up with a series of Tweets hinting toward its release, and the studio hasn’t disappointed.
Perhaps most telling was the Tweets about CS:GO. The studio asked fans to repost their favorite moments from across the game’s history, prompting a nostalgic reply section that recapped everything CS:GO has had to offer over the years. It’s a bittersweet moment, to say the least, but well worth a look for anyone who has enjoyed the game over the years.
Is Counter-Strike 2 Ready?
While the release of Counter-Strike 2 is no doubt exciting, questions remain over the game’s current state. As both professional and casual players have had more time with the game, it has become clear that the sub-tick update may not solve many of the intended problems. In fact, in some instances, it seems to even make them worse.
Some pros have been vocal about the idea that Counter-Strike 2 may not be ready for full release and competitive play. An open Beta was one option that Valve has chosen not to pursue on this occasion. It’s an interesting debate, but here’s where we stand. While it may be long forgotten now, CS:GO sucked on launch. It took a while for the community to accept it, and Valve worked hard to get it to where it is today. It certainly didn’t happen overnight.
The launch of CS2 is sure to come with its own bumps along the way. But we think Valve is right to take the leap now. If it doesn’t, we’ll forever be comparing the game to CS:GO. Releasing Counter-Strike 2 almost puts further pressure on Valve to get things right in a timely manner, which could be a huge help to the game.
What Will Happen To Professional CS:GO?
Credit: Valve, images modified by Daniel Morris
The ongoing ESL Pro League Season 18 complicates matters somewhat. It’s a tournament that began over a month ago on CS:GO, and now potentially faces the prospect of moving to CS2 mid-tournament, which would be unprecedented. It could even result in some truly wacky results on the server.
While nothing is clear right now, it seems competitive CS:GO tournaments will continue as normal, with everything starting after this release then moving to Counter-Strike 2.
Official Announcement Video
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