Counter-Strike 2 is finally out: download it and play!

After months of waiting, Counter-Strike 2 is now official. Many players are already battling it out on Valve's famous free-to-play FPS, and you can join them!

Valve has announced the release of the highly anticipated upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Counter-Strike 2, featuring improved smoke grenades, redesigned maps, and enhanced network features. After more than a decade since the release of CS: GO, the gaming community was surprised by the lack of significant updates, but now Counter-Strike 2 is finally available as of September 27, following a testing phase lasting over six months.

What's new in Counter-Strike 2?

All Counter-Strike 2 maps have been meticulously crafted to take full advantage of the new tools and features offered by the Source 2 engine. 

• For example, the Overpass map has undergone a complete overhaul to harness the potential of the engine's new tools. The Nuke map now boasts more realistic lighting and reflections, while the Dust 2 map benefits from enhanced lighting. During the testing phase, players also noted a significant change in the Inferno map, with the completion of the church construction site and the removal of the ability to hide behind the cemetery stairs on Site A, requiring players to adapt. Additionally, new maps, such as Ancient and Anubis, have been introduced to the game.

• Valve has completely revamped the visual effects, introducing new-generation lighting and particle systems with a focus on the clarity of bullet impacts from a distance. Environmental effects have also received improvements. Counter-Strike 2's user interface has been entirely redesigned to provide better information to players as they strive to avoid getting eliminated. Furthermore, all weapons have received updated textures. 

• An even more fast-paced game: the game remains the fast-paced first-person shooter it's known for, where players team up to eliminate enemies, defuse explosives, and exchange earned money for better weapons. Valve has enhanced gameplay fluidity, making it even more responsive than its predecessors by reducing the time between executing an action and its effects being registered.

• A significant addition is the updated weapon purchase menu that CS players have been asking for years. Counter-Strike 2 now allows players to refund weapons purchased before the end of the purchase phase, so no more misclicks and frustration of accidental purchases and better adaptation to the team's strategy.

How to play Counter-Strike 2?

You can easily purchase Counter-Strike 2 via Steam. All the items you've gathered in CS: GO will transfer to CS2, and even the standard weapons will receive a visual boost courtesy of the advanced Source 2 engine.