In summer, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will receive an upgrade and become Counter-Strike 2. Fresh graphics, a new netcode, gameplay adjustments – many dials are being turned. The most important known changes are collected on MeinMMO.
After several leaks and rumors, developer Valve confirmed on March 22, 2023: Counter-Strike 2 is coming and will be a complete upgrade from CS:GO.
The known maps will remain in the game, you can keep your cosmetics, and they don’t want to change too much about the gameplay feeling. It is supposed to remain the popular and successful tactical shooter, but better.
Here you can find details about the planned changes so far. Should the developers announce further changes, we will update the article accordingly.
Counter-Strike 2: Known Innovations
At the heart of the upgrade from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2 is the revised Source Engine 2. The new engine provides modern development tools and new performance capabilities.
This could cause the game to run worse on older PCs, but the overall quality is improving:
- Better graphics
- More gameplay possibilities
- New netcode
- Precision sound
Regarding the details of the new engine, the developers are still tight-lipped. However, they have already released some information on how the upgrade will affect CS:GO. We will go into the individual points in more detail below.
Until the release in summer, the developers want to publish more information about the upgrade. So the list only provides an initial insight.
Counter-Strike 2: Game Graphics and Animations
Visually, the well-known style of Counter-Strike is retained, but the new possibilities of the engine are also being used for fresh gameplay elements.
They want to adjust the behaviors of several elements in the game with high-resolution effects:
- Water
- Explosions
- Fire
- Smoke
- Muzzle flash
- Projectile trails
- Impact effects
- and more
Especially the smoke is drastically changing, responding much more to other influences. More about that further down. Oh, and by the way, you can see your feet in CS2!
Game graphics, environmental effects, and the user interface will be comprehensively revised and improved.
This also includes your skins from CS:GO, which you should be able to keep in Counter-Strike 2. The skins and also the normal weapons will receive new, high-resolution models.
Counter-Strike 2: Redesigned Maps
Familiar maps will get a new coat of paint with CS2. The developers currently classify them into three different types of redesigns:
- Completely overhauled
- Built from the ground up
- Redesigned
- New lighting and rendering system
- Freshened up
- Improvement of lighting and readability
The refreshed maps are currently designed for players to pay more attention to gameplay adjustments while testing and to be less influenced by the visual innovations.
We have created a small gallery with example images:
Redesigned: Nuke – Old
The map builders in the community also benefit from the new tools of the Source 2 engine.
If you would like to learn more about the topic, watch the developers’ English video on the visual upgrades of the Counter-Strike world:
Counter-Strike 2: The New Tick Rate
A rather technical topic, but particularly exciting for players with competitive claims. The netcode is getting a significant upgrade and the developers explain it as follows:
In CS:GO, only the ticks counted, and there were 64 ticks per second. The server ignored the time between the ticks – the tick rate was not ‘real-time’, but the server only saw those 64 ticks per second.
With CS2, there will be a real-time tick. The server then knows exactly when each action was executed.
Example grenade throw: In CS:GO, the server recognized the throw in one tick, and exactly at the time of the tick, the throw occurred. In CS2, the server recognizes that the throw actually happens between the ticks and adjusts the throw moment accordingly.
This results in much more consistent results for the same actions. Movements, gunfire, throws – the server recognizes much more accurately who, when, executed which input and regulates the process accordingly.
More information on the topic can also be found here in the developers’ English video:
Counter-Strike 2: The New Smoke
The highlight also includes the new smoke of CS2. It no longer just puffs out of the grenade and creates its usual cloud. In CS2, the smoke reacts to the environment and even to other gameplay elements:
- Gameplay interactions
- Natural dispersion
- Reactions to light
Objects stop the dispersion, light/shadow can be seen on the dense smoke clouds. With gunfire, you can even shoot holes in the smoke to create a line of sight:
The developers have also published an English video on the topic that you can check out here:
Not all details of the big CS:GO upgrade are known yet, we are keeping a close eye on the situation on MeinMMO. If there is new information, the article will be updated.
If you have any questions or would like to share your opinion on CS2, the comments are open for you. If you would rather read more about shooters, check this out: The 10 best free-to-play shooters
