The Counter-Strike multiplayer series, which has been around since 1999, is finally receiving another massive upgrade. But how does it compare to the already existing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

2012’s CS: GO was the last major upgrade to Valve’s classic Counter-Strike game. As an esports superstar and the longtime favorite of many players worldwide, it had to wait 11 challenging years for noticeable improvements.

But the time has come, and this glorious summer, we can look forward to Counter-Strike 2 – a free update using groundbreaking technologies to revolutionize the familiar first-person shooter gameplay.

In this short guide, you can check if the enhanced game will meet your expectations.

Core Mechanics Upgrade

Good news! Valve assumed a rather evolutionary approach, so the familiar mechanics of the CS: GO video game remains the same.

All other changes become real due to the Source 2 engine use, which means many graphical and technical improvements. Although Source 2 has been around since 2015, fans had to wait eight years for its introduction to the CS game. Meantime, it supported many other titles like Dota 2, Aperture Desk Job, and Half-Life: Alyx[

The lack of massive gameplay modifications is not surprising as CS: GO is Valve’s goldmine, and any radical change could put off some of the hundreds of thousands of users playing right now. According to ex-professional players, Counter-Strike 2 looks promising. Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg shared his conclusions on Twitter: ‘I did travel to test, with some amazing peeps. But my poker face game was too strong. This will be beautiful.’

Map Overhauls

All maps have experienced graphical improvements and will look incredibly realistic. Among those constructed from the ground up is Overpass, now equipped with loads of visible details and life-like lighting.

Some, like Nuke, use a new rendering system and are incredibly satisfying to explore. And touchstone maps like Dust II have been given better lighting and character visibility, still delivering a familiar FPS experience.

Visual and Audio Enhancements

Classic CS: GO visuals earned the most changes, making the gameplay more gratifying. Finally, smoke grenades interact with the environment as volumetric objects. Smoke spreads more realistically and naturally reacts to bullet distribution and everything else happening on the map. Sightlines clearing is possible, which creates extra opportunities for strategic planning.

Moreover, smoke leaks through neighboring rooms, flows by windows and affects lighting – just as it would in the real world.

All visual effects also look clearer. Blood splatters, explosions, the interface – it’s all there to help you draw judgments and know better what is going on in the game. And to make every match more realistic, Valve implemented precise sound harmonizing with the game’s physics.

Skins and Weapons

Happy news again! All equipment accumulated by players stays unchanged! So skins, weapons, and grenades safely remain in your account. With one tiny difference – they look really nice. With enhanced lighting and high-definition detail, each model looks better than ever.

Other Noteworthy Differences

Another groundbreaking change is the new tick rate system – the refreshing data frequency on the game server. The upcoming update brings its sub-tick version, delivering smooth motions and divine precision. Now, the server will always be up to date with what is happening on the map, and this is crucial information because Counter-Strike is a game where every move matters.

Conclusion

It appears that Valve is doing everything to fulfill the expectations of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players. All new features focus on improvement without invading the main gameplay mechanics. Therefore, whether you are a professional e-sports player or a casual enjoyer, you can appreciate this update without changing your play style.

In this comparison, CS 2 is already the evident winner.

But the developers are still waiting to share all possible details about the new release. So let’s keep our fingers crossed that this gift bag contains more similarly incredible surprises