A new piece of evidence has surfaced that has revealed that Counter-Strike 2 may actually be happening. If so, it'll become the latest entry into Valve's long-running Counter-Strike franchise, which many consider to be the king of the tactical shooter genre.Rumors have been rife about a potential Counter-Strike 2, and whether it would be a completely new game or just an upgrade to Valve's Source 2 engine. At the moment, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is running on the original Source engine which has been in use since 2004. Valve has updated one of its past games to Source 2 once before, with Dota 2 receiving the treatment back in 2015, so it's been a long time coming for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. With nothing officially confirmed, the truth remains unclear, although it appears that players won't have to wait much longer to find out either way.Valve has filed a trademark for a "CS2" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, indicating that whether an upgrade or a new game, Counter-Strike 2 certainly seems to be on the way. The application is still live with the USPTO after it was initially filed on March 14. It's unclear how long it'll take to get fully approved, but it's unlikely that Valve will release Counter-Strike 2 until it's all set in stone. There is still so much about the game that players remain in the dark about, with the big question mark being whether Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skins will carry over to the new game.
The concrete rumors about Counter-Strike 2 began when journalist Richard Lewis confirmed it was in development just a few weeks back, and players have been checking for every sign of its release ever since. Constant updates from Valve to the SteamDB page for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive have sparked daily rumors about its impending release, but they're yet to come to fruition. However, trademarks are an undeniable sign that something is in the works at Valve.
Even if Valve decides to release a brand-new game, it can do so knowing the franchise is as healthy as ever. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is shattering its all-time concurrent player count record seemingly every weekend at the moment, over a decade after the game was first released. It speaks to the impressive work Valve has done to keep the game alive over such a long period of time through consistent updates and embracing its growing esports scene. With the popularity of the series so high currently, it does seem like the perfect time to capitalize with a potential Counter-Strike 2.
Counter-Strike 2 is rumored to be in development.
Source: USPTO