Upgrade CS: GO to Counter-Strike 2; Now Available on Steam for Free

Counter-Strike 2, the long-awaited update for CS: GO, is now out. The debut of CS2 has already been confirmed by Valve, the parent company of Steam, and the game is already listed in the online game store. Major upgrades to the game include enhanced smoke grenades, revised levels, and improved network functions. Based on Valve's Source 2 engine, the upgraded game.

After CS2 game rumors circulated for years, Valve unveiled a small test for the game in March. Players of CS:GO will get access to this free-to-play game as an upgrade. Players of CS:Go will therefore be able to smoothly move to CS2 at no further cost.

Counter-Strike 2: Availability

Steam users can download 27 GB of CS2 for free. The latest catalog of titles directly replaces CS:Go, which has existed for more than 10 years. All items that CS:GO players have during the game are available in CS2. Plus, stock weapons look better thanks to the Source 2 engine.

Counter-Strike 2: More information

It gives the title a much-needed facelift, custom audio, UI improvements, and updated community workshops. In addition to the long-running Counter-Strike game, Counter-Strike 2 features all-new CS leaderboards with an updated Premier mode, global and regional leaderboards, and updated and redesigned maps. While gameplay has new dynamic smoke grenades with fast-paced independent gameplay with redesigned visual effects and sound.

CS2 works as a free update for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, automatically transferring all purchased skins and cosmetics to the new version. All the classic maps - Dust 2, Inferno, Mirage and the like - feature lighting improvements that create reflections on surfaces like tiles and puddles and more realistic shadows.

With Source 2, maps have been rebuilt from the ground up to reflect a modern aesthetic, giving community mapmakers the same tools to build and share their creations. One of the most significant physics-based changes has to be the inclusion of volumetric 3D smoke for movement, whether its bullets passing through or a nearby explosion causing the explosion to change its natural shape.

Valve also introduced a new sub-tick architecture that allows the official servers to know the exact time you threw a grenade or fired a bullet. CS:GO relied on a discrete interval mechanic called ticks, which was set to 64Hz by default, causing some ranked players to flock to unofficial servers that offer a more sensitive 128Hz. Speaking of ranked play, CS2 introduces a brand new ranking system split into two modes: Classic Competition and Premier. The first works the same as before, so you can choose the card you want and aim for the highest health, from Silver 1 to Global Elite. However, the series are now divided by maps, so you can be a Master Elite in Dust 2 and be a Gold Nova level player in Vertigo at the same time.

Counter-Strike 2: System Requirements

Operating system: Windows 10 or later

Processor: 4 hardware processor threads - Intel Core i5 750 or higher

Memory: 8 GB RAM or more

Graphics: Graphics card must be at least 1GB and compatible with DirectX 11 and support Shader Model 5.0

DirectX: Version 11

Storage: 85 GB free space