Valve announces Counter-Strike 2 with upgraded graphics and enhanced gameplay

Valve has finally unveiled Counter-Strike 2, the much-anticipated upgrade to CS:GO. The game now runs on the latest version of the Source 2 engine, resulting in a noticeable improvement in graphic quality. Valve has also taken a three-tier approach to level design: the first is touchstone maps like Dust 2, which will remain mostly unchanged. Upgrade maps will feature enhanced lighting to improve the realism of materials and reflections. Additionally, a handful of levels will be completely overhauled to take full advantage of the engine.

The gameplay has also received significant enhancements with the move to Source 2. Smoke grenades now exist as volumetric 3D objects within the game world, making them more responsive to other gameplay elements. Valve is also updating the game's server architecture to support sub-tick updates, making it the most responsive Counter-Strike game to date. This is a significant departure from the last game, which relied on 64-tick updates for registering in-game movements and other actions, such as shooting.

The game has been made available to a limited beta group of the game's community, and it will be available to the public by this summer.