Rewinding the clock back to March earlier this year, there were claims a Counter-Strike 2 was underway. And although the game has been due for a complete overhaul being more than a decade old, it was fairly hard to believe. That was – until Valve officially announced Counter-Strike 2 is actually launching later this year.

One of the biggest differences is the visuals. Not only does it revamp weapons, characters, maps, and UI, it also reworks how items are animated; especially smoke. The biggest showcase is the realistic smoke as it reacts to the area of effect responsively as it fills areas and bends around objects proportionately. But, players were left unaware as to when Counter-Strike 2 will actually drop.

Well, Valve decided to just drop the game today, September 27th. Even more, it replaces Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam entirely. You can watch the launch trailer in the video below:

“For over two decades, Counter-Strike has offered an elite competitive experience, one shaped by millions of players from across the globe. And now the next chapter in the CS story is about to begin. This is Counter-Strike 2,” the description on Steam reads for the new game. Even more, Valve confirms 100 percent of in-game items will carry over to the new client.

“A free upgrade to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2 marks the largest technical leap in Counter-Strike’s history. Built on the Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is modernized with realistic physically-based rendering, state of the art networking, and upgraded Community Workshop tools.”

What has you most excited for Counter-Strike 2 being out now?

Counter-Strike 2 is available for PC via Steam.

Nick Moreno Content Writer

Nick has over a decade of video game journalism under his belt. Outside of writing about trending & indie releases, he has also provided coverage at multiple events across the United States including Penny Arcade Expo & E3.

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