A new version of Counter-Strike, named Counter-Strike 2, is set to be released soon, sources told veteran esports journalist Richard Lewis. The release of a beta is expected as early as March 2023.
Following years of leaks and rumors about a version of CS:GO on the source engine, files from an NVIDIA driver update at the end of February showed a ‘csgos2’ executable.
This was the first concrete indication of a Source 2 upgrade for Counter-Strike, with the latest entry in the series, Global Offensive, released back in 2012.
The beta for Counter-Strike 2, using the source engine is due to release as early as this month, according to Lewis’ sources.
Counter-Strike 2 beta release
Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources with knowledge of the game’s development told Richard Lewis that the Source 2 version of Counter-Strike had been a priority at Valve, with one quoted as saying: “The big priority is getting this out and then polishing it, fixing any bugs and bringing it up to the level people expect from CS.”
The Source 2 version of Counter-Strike will apparently boast 128 tick servers at launch, a feature heavily requested from CSGO players. Additionally, an improved matchmaking system is planned to lessen the need for ‘third-party’ matchmakers like FACEIT and ESEA.
Counter-Strike 2 is apparently “ready to go”, with a beta version due for release in March 2023, with April 1 at the latest.
Valve
What remains unclear, Lewis reports, is how the new release will be integrated with the hyper-competitive top level of CS:GO. Whether the new game will continue to exist separately from CS:GO, as with previous iterations of CS did, or if we will see a merger similar to Dota2’s Source 2 version, is unknown.
For many players, there will also be concerns about the future of the CS:GO skin economy, with potentially billions of dollars of value collectively held in players accounts and on trading websites.
Case openings and Steam market activity for CS:GO are a major revenue source for Valve, who will no doubt be considering the impact of Counter-Strike 2 on this economy.
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