What you need to know
- Counter-Strike 2 is a long-awaited upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
- Developed and published by Valve, Counter-Strike 2 includes a number of new visual enhancements such as dynamic smoke grenades.
- Counter-Strike 2 replaces Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and is available now.
It's finally here.
Counter-Strike 2 is available on Steam right now thanks to a surprise launch from Valve. The developer and publisher originally revealed Counter-Strike 2 earlier in the year while sharing that the game would be released at some point in summer 2023. You can check out the launch trailer for Counter-Strike 2 below:
As part of the overhaul and upgrade process that makes up Counter-Strike 2, Valve has retouched and redesigned classic Counter-Strike: Global Offensive maps. Different maps have received different levels of attention, with "Touchstones" getting only a little bit of work.
"Upgrades" now use Source 2-based lighting and physically-based rendering, while "Overhauls" were the oldest maps in question and have naturally gotten the most care throughout the development process.
Another big upgrade made possible by Source 2 is the new dynamic smoke grenades, which can radically alter the flow of combat due to the enhanced effects.
Counter-Strike 2: Windows PC requirements
Due to Counter-Strike 2 being an upgrade over Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the PC requirements to play the game have naturally gone up. Here's what you'll need in order to run the game:
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: 4 hardware CPU threads, Intel Core i5 750 or better
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Graphics: Video card with 1GB or more memory, DirectX 11 compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 85GB
Analysis: Surreal and cool to see
It's not a controversial statement to say that Valve doesn't release many games these days, so it's really cool to see something like Counter-Strike 2 happening. While I'm not a major fan of the series, I understand how important it is to millions of people, and these overhauls seem perfect for ensuring that it continues to remain popular.
