What’s new for Counter-Strike 2?

On Wednesday, Valve officially announced Counter: Strike 2. With three videos published on Valve’s YouTube and posts on the new @CounterStrike Twitter account, Counter-Strike 2 or CS2 is officially on the way. The game is set to release this summer. A limited playtest will be rolled out to select players immediately.

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Here’s a breakdown of the three major changes that Valve revealed for CS2, which will be on display in the limited playthrough.

Moving Beyond Tick Rate

Precise moving and shooting has always been critically important in Counter-Strike. In the past, moving and shooting was recorded in discrete time intervals or ticks. The milliseconds in between the time you clicked your mouse and the action was registered could be critical. Counter-Strike 2 will have sub-tick updates, and the server will calculate a player's actions in between ticks.

Leveling up the world

Maps will be updated but not all in the same way. Updates to maps will fall under three categories: touchstones, upgrades and overhauls. Touchstone maps will have improvements to lighting and character read but no other changes. Upgrades will use Source 2 lighting to produce more realistic materials, lighting and reflections. Overhauls will be maps that have been completely rebuilt. According to the CS2 website, Dust II is listed as an example of a touchstone, Nuke is shown as an upgrade, and Overpass is slated for an overhaul. Valve has not revealed how other maps will be treated.

Responsive Smokes

Smokes are important for concealing movement in Counter-Strike, and in CS2 they will be dynamic. Smokes will react to the environment, growing to fill space, changing appearance due to lighting and be pushed by bullets and grenades.

Lead image credit: Valve