Counter-Strike may be a huge name in the world of competitive shooters, but Gabe appears to have decided that Valve’s marketing dollars should be used elsewhere. In a series of 4K videos posted to its official YouTube channel today, Valve confirmed, albeit quietly, that it has been developing Counter-Strike 2, an official sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the fourth installment of the tactical FPS series that originally launched over a decade ago. Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled to release this summer ahead of a limited test that begins today, and according to one of the videos, players can expect a much more responsive experience thanks to improvements that include a sub-tick update architecture.
From a Counter-Strike post:
Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come.
All of the game’s new features will be revealed when it officially launches this summer, but the road to Counter-Strike 2 begins today as a Limited Test for select CS:GO players. During this testing period, we’ll be evaluating a subset of features to shake out any issues before the worldwide release.
Counter-Strike 2 arrives this summer as a free upgrade to CS:GO. So build your loadout, hone your skills, and prepare yourself for what’s next!
From the Valve YouTube channel:
Counter-Strike 2: Leveling Up The World
Cleaner, brighter, better. Maps in Counter-Strike 2 are receiving upgrades and overhauls which leverage all of the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.
Counter-Strike 2: Moving Beyond Tick Rate
Tick rate no longer matters for moving, shooting, or throwing.
Sub-tick updates are the heart of Counter-Strike 2. Previously, the server only evaluated the world in discrete time intervals (called ticks). Thanks to Counter-Strike 2’s sub-tick update architecture, servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.
As a result, regardless of tick rate, your moving and shooting will be equally responsive and your grenades will always land the same way.
Counter-Strike 2: Responsive Smokes
Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.