Valve Shocks Fans With Sudden Reveal Of Counter-Strike 2: Free Upgrade Coming This Summer

Valve, the gaming giant, has dropped a bombshell on the gaming community with its announcement of the upcoming release of Counter-Strike 2.

Although an exact release date has yet to be confirmed, Valve has given a Summer 2023 release window for the title, which will run on Source Engine 2, the upgraded version of Valve's Source Engine game engine.

See also: 'CS:GO' Shatters Records With 1.4 Million Concurrent Players Amid Rumors Of An Upcoming 'Counter-Strike 2'

The best part? Counter-Strike 2 will be a free upgrade to the current game, CS:GO. This move by Valve is sure to be welcomed by the millions of CS:GO players who will be able to upgrade to the latest version for free.

"Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come," Valve wrote on the new CS2 website.

Today we're excited to announce Counter-Strike 2. Counter-Strike 2 is an overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience. First, let's talk about smoke grenades: pic.twitter.com/iTtguRHJ0S

— CS:GO (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023

A Sneak Peek Into Counter-Strike 2's New Features

The upgraded and overhauled maps are among the most significant changes in CS2, which have been entirely rebuilt from scratch using the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.

Moreover, CS2 will introduce "game-changing" smoke grenades that can interact with other gameplay events, expand to fill spaces naturally, and react to lightning. The new grenade system is just one of the many changes that Valve has planned for CS2, which will provide players with a more immersive and engaging experience.

In addition to these new features, Valve has also promised tick-rate-independent gameplay, which means that regardless of the tick rate, a player's movements and shooting will be equally responsive, and grenades will always land in the same way.

See also: The 5 Most Viewed FPS Games On Twitch In 2022: 'Valorant' And 'CS: GO' Reign Supreme

One crucial announcement that has caught the attention of players is that all of their CS:GO items will carry over to CS2. This means that players will not have to start from scratch when transitioning to the new game. Valve has also announced that there will be a limited trial available for a selection of CS:GO players to evaluate a subset of CS2 features to resolve any issues before the worldwide launch.

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