Counter-Strike 2 brings the largest technical leap, ensuring new features and updates for years to come. Counter-Strike 2 features map changes, a new lighting engine, graphical effects, and VFX, and much more. Today we have compiled a list of new CS2 features and changes. Read more details below.
Check out more details below.
Table of Contents
All CS2 Features and Changes – March 22, 2023
GAME CHANGER
Smoke Grenades are now dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.
Gameplay
- Smoke now has the ability to interact with other gameplay events, creating new opportunities. Bullets and HE grenades can push smoke to briefly clear sightlines or expand occlusion.
Expands to fill spaces naturally
- Now the smoke will seep out of opened doorways and broken windows, go down and up stairs, as well as expand in long corridors and combine with other smokes.
Reacts to Lighting
- In Counter-Strike 2 smoke particles work with the unified lighting system allowing for more realistic light and color.
Tick Rate Changes
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.
New Maps and Changes
Full Overhaul Maps
- The overhauled maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up, leveraging all of the new Source 2 tools and rendering features.
Upgrade Maps
- These are maps that use new Source 2 lighting, including a physically based rendering system that produces realistic materials, lighting, and reflections.
Touchstone Maps
- Classic maps with solid foundations that players can use to evaluate gameplay changes from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2. These have improvements to lighting and character read, but otherwise haven’t been changed.
Source 2 Tools
- The Source 2 tools and rendering features will be available for community map makers to make it easier to build, experiment and iterate. And stay tuned for the Source 2 Item Workshop, which will be available later on in the limited test.
NEW ITEMS
Bring your entire CS:GO inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2. Not only will you keep every item you’ve collected over the years, but they’ll all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials.
In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models.
NEW GRAPHICS
From UI to gameplay, all visual effects have been reimagined.
All of the visual effects have been updated in Counter-Strike 2. With Source 2 lighting and particle systems, there’s an all-new look and behavior for water, explosions, fire, smoke, muzzle flashes, bullet tracers, impact effects, and more.
Gameplay Visuals
In Counter-Strike 2 the most critical gameplay visuals have been redesigned with readability in mind. Bullet impacts can be easily viewed at a distance, and directional blood impacts (that fade over time) give you more information as you move through the world.
Environment Effects
Experience completely reauthored explosions, fire, C4 lighting, and more. Leveraging the Source 2 Engine and modern hardware, environmental effects in Counter-Strike 2 feature improved visual fidelity and greater consistency.
UI Enhancements
The UI in Counter-Strike 2 has gotten a complete overhaul, including fresh visual effects throughout the HUD. Not only do these improvements look nice, they also communicate important game state.
ACCURATE AUDIO
Counter-Strike 2 sounds have been reworked to better reflect the physical environment, be more distinct, and express more game state. They have also been rebalanced for a more comfortable listening experience.
Currently, players are selected for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team, including recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing. Counter-Strike 2 arrives this summer 2023 as a free upgrade to CS:GO.
Download free Counter-Strike 2 on PC(Steam).
