On September 1, 2023, the Limited Test was released to all that purchased Global Offensive before it became free-to-play in 2018 and were active in competitive matchmaking. Counter-Strike 2 released to the public on September 27, 2023, replacing Global Offensive on Steam.

Running on Source Engine 2, the same game engine used on other Valve games, including Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike 2 is not a separate sequel to the original game but rather a major free update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

On the other hand, if you were not a CS:GO player but are looking to get into Counter-Strike now, you can easily download the game from Steam. CS2 is free to download, so you just need to make sure you have enough free space. Note that only players on Windows or Linux can play CS2.

Counter-Strike 2 is a free upgrade to CS:GO. So build your loadout, hone your skills, and prepare yourself for what's next! Read on to learn more about some of the features of Counter-Strike 2.