Counter-Strike 2 is now available to PC gamers using Steam and is free to download and play.
Despite its name, the latest game in one of the most popular first-person shooter franchises of all time isn’t a standalone sequel to the original Counter-Strike released in 2000.
Instead, Counter-Strike 2 represents a major overhaul to 2012’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
CS:GO allowed players to form online teams, of either terrorists or counter-terrorists, with other players to compete against each other, with an emphasis on tactical stealth-based combat.
Though CS:GO may have launched over a decade ago, it has consistently remained one of the most popular games on Steam, regularly attracting over 3 million players per day, and is one of the most popular titles in the world of competitive e-sports tournaments.
Though CS:GO is currently available for consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X, these players won’t have the privilege of giving Counter-Strike 2 a go, and at least for the near future the game is only available on PC.
Mac gamers are also set to be excluded from trying Counter-Strike 2, but it is still available for users of the alternative operating system Linux, as well as people running Valve OS on Valve’s own portable gaming device the Steam Deck.
In terms of updates, Counter-Strike 2 boasts radically improved graphics compared to its 2012 predecessor, courtesy of Valve’s Source Engine 2, the same game engine used to power other Valve games which have received acclaim for their graphics including Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx.
These graphic updates come at a price, the new game boats much more stringent graphic requirements when compared to CS: GO, putting the game out of the reach of some players with less modern gaming set-ups.
However, Counter-Strike 2 doesn’t include new maps, or new guns, or much other content some players might expect in a sequel, though existing maps have received a revamp and have a quite different appearance.
Counter-Strike 2 is coming to the table having already been thoroughly tested, as it’s been available for beta testing by some players since March 2023.
The introduction of Counter-Strike 2 will wipe existing players’ achievements log clean, while players who have received bans or “cool downs” for cheating or abusive and anti-social behaviour will still have to serve a reminder of their bans.
