Counter-Strike 2 Likely to Release on 27th September According to Valve’s New Teaser
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Valve dropped a tweet on Twitter/X last night hinting at Counter-Strike 2’s release on 27th September. The upcoming game will feature new visuals, movement, network improvements, and a whole lot more as we enter a new era of Counter-Strike. If you want a detailed rundown of everything new coming to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) check out our CS2 vs CS:GO comparison.
What to expect from Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 will be a free-to-play title just like CS:GO and monetized via cosmetics. Valve was one of the first publishers to adopt microtransactions and it allows players to trade their skins for Steam balance.
Some skins can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and despite the cosmetics being sold in a player-driven economy, Valve still makes a profit from the trades via the Steam marketplace. There are no pay-to-win mechanics in Counter-Strike 2 and you will be able to experience the multiplayer gameplay for free.
Valve has also confirmed that its Prime Status Upgrade from CS:GO will also be available in Counter-Strike 2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2 players with Prime Status are matched with other Prime Status players and are eligible to receive Prime-exclusive souvenir items, item drops, and weapon cases.
You can purchase Prime Status for $14.99 USD and you need to have a valid phone number linked to your Steam account. Many prefer purchasing Prime Status as it helps keep out a substantial amount of cheaters.
While the idea of avoiding cheaters sounds exciting, Prime is meant to be a deterrent instead of a fool-proof solution. But it does improve the standard of matches. Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) is also getting an upgrade in Counter-Strike 2 with live bans being introduced, and it should help curb cheaters as well
Do remember that Valve is known to pull off tricks on its audience so don’t treat the publisher’s teaser as gospel. But with Valve promising that the game would be released by the end of Summer 2023, and the timeframe lining up with what was promised earlier, the release seems imminent.
