Valve might have tried hard to keep the upcoming Counter-Strike 2 under wraps but now they have come clear about the upcoming free-to-play Counter-Strike 2, based on Valve’s Source 2 Engine.
The biggest change is to the server architecture, with the developers promising a “sub-tick” server with beta/limited testing launching today, 22nd March 2023.
Everything – from shooting to moving to grenades firing – will become more responsive, and data packets won’t be transmitted back and forth after a “tick.”
This might sound surreal to most gamers, but this is as close as it gets to nirvana for online gamers. In the new video, the working of the new mechanism was explained.
Previously, the game would send and receive data in discrete finite intervals called “ticks”. There wasn’t anything done in between the ticks. While there was mostly no difference, for competitive gamers, sometimes the millisecond delay between a tick and a click could be fatal.
The new “sub-tick” update no longer relies on discrete time intervals. This means that the server will “see” every change as it happens in real-time. This makes the gameplay experience closer to “what you see is what you get.”
As for the other updates, it was mentioned that Counter-Strike 2 would see map updates divided into three:
- Touchstone – These are the classic maps with rich legacy. Thus, there are only changes to lighting and character readings and rest remains mostly unchanged.
- Upgrades – These maps use a new lighting system using “
“physically based rendering”. This would produce realistic lighting and reflections. - Overhauls – As the name suggests, the oldest maps were built from the ground up. They deployed the new Source 2 technology, and it was mentioned that the tools would be available for community map makers.
The other update that was mentioned is the realistic smoke effects. Smoke grenades are the mainstay of many game tactics by professionals and amateurs alike.
Deployed on the new game Engine, smokes are now dynamic. They are 3D volumetric objects that react to the environment, fill spaces when available, and can be penetrated by bullets for a realistic effect.
This would mean more new strategies can be developed based on these updates. Players are looking to hop onto the limited testing that’s available.
It’s difficult to get onto the Limited Test that kicked off today (22nd March 2023) because it considers playtime on Valve’s official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing. However, for a while until the “Summer 2023” release, this will be the only source of information.
The other updates include revamped UI, better balanced immersive audio to complement the gameplay and realistic splatter. Players would be waiting in anticipation to experience a new generation of Counter-Strike.
About Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 is a free-to-play, upcoming first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The game is the successor to the widely popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), which was initially released as a premium game but later transitioned to a free-to-play model.
Valve has stated that Counter-Strike 2 will feature a range of new and improved features, including upgraded visual effects, improved lighting, and reduced input lag.
Additionally, players will be able to bring their entire inventory of items from CSGO to the new game. The new lighting effects, thanks to the new Source 2 engine, will be available to the older gears.
Counter-Strike 2 was released on September 27th, 2023.
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