According to a report from esports journalist Richard Lewis, Counter-Strike 2 is indeed a real thing and may make its way—in a limited fashion—to the public for beta testing later this month or shortly thereafter.
Citing sources familiar with the situation who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak, the report claims that a new version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is on its way and will be released under the working title of “Counter-Strike 2,” with a beta launch planned by Valve sometime later this month or early April.
According to his sources, the new version of CS:GO will use the Source 2 engine, offer 128 tick server support (there’s a good explanation of what that means in this AFK Gaming article), and offer an improved matchmaking system.
“The big priority is getting this out and then polishing it, fixing any bugs and bringing it up to the level people expect from CS,” a source tells Lewis.
It is highly unlikely, that even if a new version of Valve’s popular team-based tactical shooter is released this year, that it will replace CS:GO in the competitive scene any time soon, as the game is being described as “still in beta” and would need to be vigorously tested by the community and adjusted for bugs and performance so that it can be a viable replacement.
Sources also claimed that the game was “ready to go” and that it has already been tested by a small group of professional players.
Valve has not publicly commented on this story, but if it is true, the community can expect the company to make an announcement soon if a beta is planned for later this month or in early April. The Esports Advocate could not independently verify details of this story at press time.