Dataminers have seemingly revealed proof that Counter-Strike 2 is in development and may be coming sooner than players think. The Counter-Strike series has been the king of the tactical shooter genre for many since it was first released in 2000, and it seems like the perfect time to bring it into the modern era.
Despite first releasing in 2012, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive continues to shatter its own player records, making it one of the most played games in the world. The simplicity of the game, combined with the popular Esports scene and addictive skin market have all been contributors to keeping players hooked on the game. However, Valve's other flagship multiplayer title, Dota 2, received a Source 2 update way back in 2015, so Counter-Strike is well-overdue a similar treatment, whether that be an update or sequel.
The initial news of Counter-Strike 2's potential existence came through an Nvidia driver leak earlier this week, with dataminers confirming that a Source 2 version of Counter-Strike Global Offensive was in development. However, a report from reputable Esports journalist Richard Lewis claims it will be far more than just an engine upgrade, and Valve will officially be rebranding the game as Counter-Strike 2. Lewis also claims that a Beta version of Counter-Strike 2 will be available later this month, which is far sooner than anyone could have anticipated.
For fans of the game, the news seems too good to be true, with Lewis claiming that many of the features fans have clamored for over the years will be featured in Counter-Strike 2 at launch. According to his source, matchmaking servers will be 128-tick, making online play a smoother experience and bringing the game in line with rival shooter Valorant. The matchmaking system will also allegedly be revamped to remove uneven matchmaking and long times between rank-ups, both of which have led to players using third-party services such as FACEIT for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is in addition to the graphical upgrade the game would receive from moving to a new engine. However, nothing has been outright confirmed by Valve, so at this point, this should still be considered a rumor.
Players have been voicing their concern over their skins, and whether they would keep them with a move to Counter-Strike 2. However, skins in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are big business, and it's doubtful that Valve would just remove them from players as part of the transition. Another concern for players is the Esports scene, which has played a huge part in Counter-Strike's recent resurgence. With many professionals so used to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, it could potentially split the scene into two sections. A similar thing happened upon the release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with players initially hesitant to move from Counter-Strike 1.6. This would only be relevant if Valve keeps the two games separate, when it's still entirely possible that Counter-Strike 2 is released as a huge update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Counter-Strike 2 is rumored to be in development.
Source: Richard Lewis