After two weeks of rumors it is now official, Counter Strike 2 will soon replace CS:GO. A major graphic improvement that will be possible to discover in beta before its release this summer.
For more than ten years, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO for short) has dominated the world of PC shooters. Valve’s eternal license indeed presented us with its latest in 2012, ensuring a decade of success with this popular game, accessible and very compatible with the growing eSports scene. But eleven years of existence is quite a long lifespan for a video game other than Skyrim, and it was becoming quite clear in recent weeks that Valve was planning some big changes on the CS:GO side. Well at the end of March, the American publisher finally presented Counter Strike 2 to us, the huge technical and visual update that will make the shooter a brand new game. The famous FPS will therefore undergo the same treatment as Overwatch with a metamorphosis scheduled for the summer of 2023, preceded by an open beta period which has already begun. We explain how to access it just after watching its short presentation:
How to play Counter Strike 2 beta?
Since March 22, 2023, the “limited” beta of Counter Strike 2 has opened its doors to a number of CS:GO players who can experience the extent of the game’s gameplay and graphics improvements. As its name l indicates, access to this test period is limited, and only players who have received an invitation from Valve can participate. To find out if you are one of the few selected, go to your CS:GO game on the main menu and look for the presence of a small invitation card from Valve. If you haven’t received it yet, don’t panic, the studio has already announced that it wants to expand access to the Counter Strike 2 beta over the next few weeks. To be selected, your profile must however meet certain criteria:
- Have sufficient playing time on the official CS:GO servers
- Have an account with impeccable VAC status
You will therefore need to have spent a significant amount of time and devoid of any toxicity or cheating attempt on CS:GO and Steam to receive the precious sesame. To check your VAC status, nothing could be simpler, go to Steam>Settings>Account. So if you want to join the Counter Strike 2 beta, don’t hesitate to spend a few extra hours on the official CS:GO servers before this summer.
What is the release date of Counter Strike 2?
For the moment, Valve hasn’t really fully expressed itself on the release date of Counter Strike 2. The American developer has announced this release for the summer of 2023, a two-month window that should probably coincide with the eleven years of the release of CS:GO on August 21. In the meantime, the new features of this version await you in the beta, which you can join at any time, provided you show diligence, rigor and a little luck in your CS:GO sessions.