It’s here. The complete Counter-Strike 2 launch has finally landed, heralding a new generation of multiplayer shooter. It began in 2000, with the first ever edition of Counter-Strike, and seriously hit stride in 2012 when we welcomed CSGO. Now, the biggest FPS the world has ever known begins a new chapter, as we exit the CS2 beta, and Valve says farewell to Counter-Strike Global Offensive.
We’ve been waiting for the Counter-Strike 2 release date since March, when Valve first announced that the FPS game would arrive in summer 2023. Since then, we’ve seen a huge resurgence for CSGO, which steadily climbed the Steam player charts and recemented its position as the most-played shooter on Earth. We’ve also seen the new Counter-Strike 2 maps, tweaks, and additions via the ongoing CS2 beta, but it’s the full Counter-Strike 2 launch that we’ve all been anticipating.
And now, on this day, Wednesday, September 27, Counter-Strike 2 has finally landed. Valve kept us on edge in the preceding days, posting teases like “what are you doing next Wednesday?” and changing the banner on the game’s Twitter channel to “Dawn of the Final Day,” in homage to The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask.
CSGO also vanished from Twitch, and a series of updates in the multiplayer game’s Steam backend revealed that Valve was steadily removing Counter-Strike Global Offensive files and depots to be replaced by CS2.
But here it is, at last. Counter-Strike 2 is real, out now, and available for everyone to play for free. Remember where you were when you heard the news – this will always be an epochal day in PC gaming history.
So, you’re going to need to know about Counter-Strike 2 skins – how to get them, whether your inventory crosses over, and how they work in the new shooter. You’ll also want to learn the intricacies of the Counter-Strike 2 best binds, which have been reworked and rebalanced for a new generation.