When it was rumored that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2 might debut this month, fans of the game have been searching every Steam update for further information. That strategy appears to have paid off, as members of the development team have just been spotted testing the latest version of Counter-Strike: Source 2.
Cybersleuths have been combing through every server patch and line of code, even the most recent Dota 2 patch, to determine when Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be released, and they finally hit pay dirt yesterday.
It seems that the version of Counter-Strike where new material and features are tested, known as the developer pre-release branch, has been updated to include references to Source 2. This points to the team’s imminent release of the Source 2 update.
We have included a tweet below for you and if you want any further information, you should check out the tweet over here:
SOURCE 2 HAS BEEN ADDED TO DEVELOPER PRE-RELEASE BRANCH!https://t.co/Fv33DwsGvP pic.twitter.com/6mLteY2FoU
— Aquarius 🛹 (@aquaismissing) March 14, 2023
It’s to be expected that testing will take longer than anticipated because of the complexity of this change. When an update reaches this branch for testing, it is often implemented into the main game within a couple of days.
There is no certainty that CS:GO 2 will be published next week, but this is an encouraging indicator. While weekly CS:GO updates are the norm, Forbes warns that the company’s track record is not always indicative of its future actions.
You may find additional information in the tweet we shared below:
Reminder of possible Source 2 map pool based on our espionage on @CSGO devs.
de_overpass_s2 / de_shortdust_s2 / de_lake_s2 / de_inferno_s2 / ar_shoots_s2 / cs_italy_s2 / de_cbble_s2 pic.twitter.com/G5ZZzVRTwE
— Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) March 14, 2023
Other maps that other sleuths have discovered appear to have been updated for the new engine, suggesting they will be part of CS2’s new map pool. Recent favorites include Inferno and Overpass, while old standbys include Cobble and others like Italy, Short Dust, and Lake have maintained their popularity.
It’s possible that these are the updated CS2 maps, and that the currently active duty maps that aren’t named would just be brought over in their existing state, which would still result in a peculiar competitive map pool.
You can find articles that are related to this one below. Please refer to the articles provided below for further information:
- CSGO 2 Release Date: The Long-Awaited Sequel is Almost Here!
- CS Source 2 Release Date: All The Latest Details!
We still don’t have any official details on CS2, so this may all be an elaborate hoax. But, based on the leaks and reports we have so far, it appears highly likely that CS2 is real and will be released soon.
While Counter-Strike 2 certainly has room for development, the hype surrounding the game now suggests that Valve may have hit upon the perfect storm to take Counter-Strike to the next level.
When CS2 comes out, it will be available on more than one platform. The PC (through Steam), PS3, and Xbox One are among these (Series S and X), Linux.
