Those who play on macOS or older 32-bit operating systems will not be able to play Counter-Strike 2. They will be able to access a legacy version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive until January 1, when Valve plans on ending support for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

To alleviate concerns for players affected by the decision, Valve has stated that it will offer refunds for players who opted to buy Prime Status Upgrade, assuming they are either macOS players or can only play on a system supporting DirectX 9 or a 32-bit version of Windows.

Counter-Strike 2 was recently released on PC after spending the better part of 2023 as a closed beta title. The game acts as a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

However, if you’re hoping to get into the limited test, hanging around in the first game and doing nothing isn’t helping. Valve clarified this on Twitter: “Idling on official matchmaking servers in CS: GO does not increase your chances of making it into the CS2 Limited Test.” Your playtime before the limited test’s introduction is ultimately what counts.

You have to wonder if this is one factor contributing to the over 1.5 million peak concurrent players recently. As for the current limited test, only two modes – Unranked Competitive and Deathmatch – are available on one map – Dust2. There will be more modes, features and maps in later releases.

Counter-Strike 2 is out this Summer for PC. It’s a free upgrade to the current game with a player’s inventory carrying over. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

PSA: Idling on official matchmaking servers in CS:GO does not increase your chances of making into the CS2 Limited Test. The playtime that counts was your playtime prior to the start of the Limited Test.

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 27, 2023

The last major record was 1,308,963 concurrent players in April 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Of course, given Counter-Strike 2’s announcement, many of the +200,000 additional players may be brand new and seeing what the fuss is about.

Counter-Strike 2 releases this Summer for PC and will be a free upgrade for the current game. The player’s inventory carries over and benefits from improved lighting and materials. Stock weapons are getting high-resolution models, but legacy models and finishes are still supported.

The limited test only offers Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive on Dust2, there will be other modes, maps and features over time. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

The limited test only offers Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive on one map – Dust2 – but more modes, maps, and features are coming in later releases. Workshop maps and community servers aren’t currently available, and you can’t play with or against CS: GO players. Any XP earned from the limited test carries over into CS: GO.

While your inventory from CS: GO carries over into Counter-Strike 2, you can’t modify any items within the latter. Applying or scraping stickers and using Trade Up Contracts is only possible in CS: GO (which then carries over into the limited test).

Finally, if your account has VAC or game bans in CS: GO, you can’t play Counter-Strike 2 on VAC-secured servers. Which means you can’t play the limited test.

Counter-Strike 2 is out in Summer for PC. Stay tuned for further details in the meantime.

A limited test for the shooter begins today, with players evaluating a “subset of features” to help address any issues before the worldwide launch. Furthermore, Counter-Strike 2 will be a free upgrade to Counter-Strike: GO. Given that the latter is free-to-play, does this mean it’s being replaced? Valve hasn’t clarified, but your entire inventory will carry over.

All items are accessible in Counter-Strike 2 and benefit from the improved lighting and materials. While legacy models and finishes are supported, stock weapons will have high-resolution models, which affects some weapon finishes.

Counter-Strike 2 will receive more details in the coming months, so stay tuned for more updates and gameplay.

First up are Smoke Grenades, which are now dynamic volumetric objects. All players see the same smoke, regardless of position, and it reacts naturally to lighting. It even fills spaces naturally, while bullets can create little holes through it, revealing an enemy briefly.

As for maps, there are three kinds – Touchstone, maps which are fundamentally the same with lighting improvements; Upgrades, which use new Source 2 lighting (including physically-based rendering); and Overhauls, maps that have been rebuilt from the ground up. The Overhauls will be available to community map makers to build on and experiment with.

Instead of ticks, set time intervals which the server relies on, Counter-Strike 2 uses sub-tick updates for responsive shooting and movement regardless of the tick rate. Stay tuned for more details on the sequel in the meantime.

The trademark application is also linked with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, going by the trademark filings on the US Patent and Trademark Office website.

An earlier report indicated that Valve is on the verge of announcing Counter-Strike 2, with a launch slated for either late March or early April. Valve itself is yet to make any official announcement for the game.

What a sequel for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive would entail is currently unknown. The lack of concrete information on Counter-Strike 2 could mean that it is anything ranging from just an upgrade to Global Offensive‘s engine, to a full-fledged sequel built up from scratch.

If a Counter-Strike 2 is indeed on its way, stay tuned to read more about the rumoured sequel.

The whole affair seems to be equal parts wholesome and fascinating. While Battlefield 2042 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive aren’t exactly competitors, it seems rather interesting that Valve would promote some other FPS through the use of its in-game paid items. That said, it’s also great to see such an intriguing working relationship between two giants of the genre.

Battlefield 2042 received a 7/10 in our review, which said, “When Battlefield 2042 hits the mark with its enormous, gorgeous, destructible maps in All-Out Warfare, it’s good, but it sometimes tends to crack under the weight of its own massive scale.” DICE is already hard at work on upcoming updates, which will hopefully improve many facets of the experience. 

Today we're excited to ship the @Battlefield 2042 Sticker Capsule featuring 12 unique designs from Battlefield 2042, releasing November 19th! Get your sticker capsule in-game now and pre-order BF 2042 on Steam: https://t.co/Ma7FWXfHf5 pic.twitter.com/KE60oi7lNO

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) November 18, 2021

This update blocks the visibility of double doors at mid-doors from T-Spawn in Dust 2 – which will be added back to the Competitive map pool with the new operation. With the new update, Competitive matches can last for 16 rounds instead of the usual 30 – which will of course, shorten the match length in a significant way. Players can also drop grenades for teammates to pick up, which should prove to be a monumental change to the game’s proceedings. Riot Shields are also being added to CS: GO’s hostage operations.

Of course, there are a litany of other changes – both big and small. Operation Riptide is changing a lot, which is a great precedent for the future of the game. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is almost a decade old at this point, yet boasts one of the highest player bases in all of Steam. A full rundown of all changes and additions coming to the game with Operation Riptide can be found here.

Friendly Fire

We can’t really resist doing this in single-player games either. But sometimes, we just really have to know. Can our teammates go down in a cursing mess after too many bullets? Will the game boot you for it? Will your teammates boot you for it? You can also suffer a penalty to money (which is bad) or be killed in the next round and not play (which, hey, free carry).