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Why I’m so excited for Counter-Strike 2

30K View2023-03-30

Last week, Valve announced Counter-Strike 2 out of nowhere and the world went wild. I personally thought it was an early April Fool’s joke. But fortunately for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players like me, it wasn’t and I’m immensely excited about it.

If you’ve played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for as long as me, you’ll deeply understand that Valve takes its sweet time with releasing patches and new content. To think that a new game is right around the corner is thrilling. I’m not used to announcements like this, especially from Valve, so it’s quite a treat to know that Counter-Strike 2 will replace Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in Summer 2023.

Valve announced the latest game in a YouTube video titled “Leveling Up The World.” As the title goes, it seems Counter-Strike 2 is going to be an upgraded version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with a buttload of visual changes across the board, new mechanics, and a lot of things for players to learn.

I’m personally stoked about all the new visual overhauls coming to every single map seen in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Some of the maps like Mirage and Dust 2 are receiving a few changes to make them look more polished and new, while others like Overpass have been completely altered from the ground up.

Not to mention that all of the matches played on these maps will be on “Sub-tick” servers, which basically means there won’t be a lot of lagging or delayed responses, if not at all. Yes, that does mean you’ll have an easier time b-hopping your way into fights.

Besides these changes, a lot of people are going to have to adapt and play differently in Counter-Strike 2. I mean, it’s still going to focus a lot on teamwork, bomb planting, and shootouts, but there are a few things that’ll change the way that matches are played.

Smoke grenades work more responsively now and actually disappear with explosions and slightly disperse when a bullet passes through. This new mechanic allows players to briefly clear areas through smoke by shooting through it, which could be both beneficial when securing areas or detrimental if a player is caught out. In any case, players can completely disperse smokes using a frag grenade too.

It might not seem like a massive change, but when compared to frag grenades, decoys, and Molotovs, smoke grenades are the most important utility a team can have in a round. It allows players to ward off areas, slow down enemy advances, and even provide cover to sneak around the battlefield.

Not to forget that Counter-Strike 2 will also feature better audio to help players navigate areas and search for enemies. Combined with the new smoke mechanic, it seems that Counter-Strike 2 will pivot from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s slower, more strategic gameplay style and focus a lot more on fast-paced, risky plays.

Anyway, it’s hard to say for sure since the game was only recently announced, but with Valve promising more updates about Counter-Strike 2 in the coming months, players like myself will get to know more soon. Until then, feel free to take a look at the YouTube trailer for Counter-Strike 2 below. Counter-Strike 2 will debut in Summer, 2023.