We’ve been hearing murmurs of a Counter-Strike sequel being in the works but we now have a definitive report that speculates that the game could be unveiled as early as April 1. Whether it will be called Counter-Strike 2 or CS:GO 2 remains a mystery though.
eSports journalist Richard Lewis has revealed that the supposed Counter-Strike sequel was recently showcased by Valve to a group of professional players who were flown to Seattle for a playtest. He has also said that the game is “about ready to go” with a beta test planned for April.
“The big priority is getting this out and then polishing it, fixing any bugs and bringing it up to the level people expect from CS,” said one of Lewis’ sources. As per Engadget, Valve has declined to comment on this story.
Coming to what Counter-Strike 2 will being to the table, the report mentions that it will be built on Valve’s Source 2 engine. This will give the game improved graphical fidelity, though it is also expected to make it less accessible to those with mediocre PCs.
This will be at odds with Valve’s efforts to empower those with everyday gaming PCs so it’s worth looking forward to what the company does in this department. Additionally, the game will apparently support 128-tick servers to help bring it in line with Valorant and reduce latency.
Focus is also expected to be on improving matchmaking to discourage players from using services like FACEIT.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released in 2012 and apart from continually enjoying a massive player count, the game is also a darling of the eSports industry. It remains to be seen how long the industry will take to embrace Counter-Strike 2 following its arrival.