Valve has announced Counter-Strike 2 is now available, a surprise release for PC as a free-to-play shooter.
Counter-Strike 2 is now available for Windows PC (via Steam) and as a free upgrade for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players.
There’s a $14.99 “Prime Status Upgrade” available, which gets players “Prime Status”, letting them match with other Prime Status players and get Prime-exclusive rewards, items, and weapon cases.
Here’s a rundown on the new game, plus a launch trailer:
For over two decades, Counter-Strike has offered an elite competitive experience, one shaped by millions of players from across the globe. And now the next chapter in the CS story is about to begin. This is Counter-Strike 2.
A free upgrade to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2 marks the largest technical leap in Counter-Strike’s history. Built on the Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is modernized with realistic physically-based rendering, state of the art networking, and upgraded Community Workshop tools.
In addition to the classic objective-focused gameplay that Counter-Strike pioneered in 1999, Counter-Strike 2 features:
- All-new CS Ratings with the updated Premier mode
- Global and Regional leaderboards
- Upgraded and overhauled maps
- Game-changing dynamic smoke grenades
- Tick-rate-independent gameplay
- Redesigned visual effects and audio
- All items from CS:GO moving forward to CS2
