Counter-Strike 2, the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike's history is available on Steam beginning today.

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.

Here's some of what CS2 will mean for players:

• Upgraded and overhauled maps
• Game-changing dynamic smoke grenades
• Tick-rate-independent gameplay 
• Redesigned visual effects and audio
• All of a player's CS:GO items go with them to CS2

Smoke Grenades

Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.

• Gameplay: Smoke now has the ability to interact with other gameplay events, creating new opportunities. Bullets and HE grenades can push smoke to briefly clear sightlines or expand occlusion.
• Expands to fill spaces naturally: Now the smoke will seep out of opened doorways and broken windows, go down and up stairs, as well as expand in long corridors and combine with other smokes.
• Reacts to Lighting: In Counter-Strike 2 smoke particles work with the unified lighting system allowing for more realistic light and color.

What you see is what you get

Tick rate no longer matters for moving, shooting, or throwing.

Sub-tick updates are the heart of Counter-Strike 2. Previously, the server only evaluated the world in discrete time intervals (called ticks). Thanks to Counter-Strike 2’s sub-tick update architecture, servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.

As a result, regardless of tick rate, your moving and shooting will be equally responsive and your grenades will always land the same way.

Cleaner, Brighter, Better

From upgrades to overhauls, maps are cleaner, brighter, better.

• Full Overhaul Maps: The overhauled maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up, leveraging all of the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.
• Upgrade Maps: These are maps that use new Source 2 lighting, including a physically based rendering system that produces realistic materials, lighting, and reflections.
• Touchstone Maps: Classic maps with solid foundations that players can use to evaluate gameplay changes from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2. These have improvements to lighting and character read, but otherwise haven't been changed.

Source 2 Tools

The Source 2 tools and rendering features will be available for community map makers to make it easier to build, experiment and iterate. And stay tuned for the Source 2 Item Workshop, which will be available later on in the limited test.

Your Items in a whole new light

Bring your entire CS:GO inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2. Not only will you keep every item you’ve collected over the years, but they’ll all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials.

In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models.

Hi-Def VFX

From UI to gameplay, all visual effects have been reimagined.

All of the visual effects have been updated in Counter-Strike 2. With Source 2 lighting and particle systems, there’s an all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more.

• Gameplay Visuals: In Counter-Strike 2 the most critical gameplay visuals have been redesigned with readability in mind. Bullet impacts can be easily viewed at a distance, and directional blood impacts (that fade over time) give you more information as you move through the world.
• Environment Effects: Experience completely reauthored explosions, fire, C4 lighting, and more. Leveraging the Source 2 Engine and modern hardware, environmental effects in Counter-Strike 2 feature improved visual fidelity and greater consistency
• UI Enhancements: The UI in Counter-Strike 2 has gotten a complete overhaul, including fresh visual effects throughout the HUD. Not only do these improvements look nice, they also communicate important game state

Accurate Audio

Reworked, Rebalanced, Reverbed: Counter-Strike 2 sounds have been reworked to better reflect the physical environment, be more distinct, and express more game state. They have also been rebalanced for a more comfortable listening experience.

Key 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