Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) was officially announced by Valve on March 22, 2023, through their official social media channels and blog posts. The announcement came after months of speculation and leaks within the gaming community about a potential Source 2 upgrade for CS:GO.
The reveal included a stunning announcement trailer and confirmed that CS2 would be a free upgrade for all existing CS:GO players. Valve described it as "the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike's history," highlighting the game's transition to the Source 2 engine.
On the same day as the announcement, Valve launched a Limited Test for selected players, allowing them to experience the game's new features firsthand. This test phase was crucial in gathering player feedback and fixing technical issues before the full release.
The announcement outlined several major improvements, including:
- Sub-tick updates for more responsive gameplay
- Completely rebuilt maps with dynamic lighting
- Improved smoke grenades with volumetric rendering
- Enhanced visual effects and graphics
While the initial announcement in March 2023 generated massive excitement, the full release of CS2 didn't happen until September 27, 2023. This six-month period between announcement and release allowed Valve to refine the game based on community feedback from the Limited Test.
The announcement marked a significant milestone in Counter-Strike's 23-year history, as it represented the first major overhaul of the game since CS:GO's release in 2012. The timing of the announcement also coincided with Counter-Strike's growing popularity, as CS:GO had recently broken its all-time concurrent player record on Steam.
