Why Counter-Strike gamers suppose Valve is about to announce ‘Counter-Strike 2’

A perennial hearsay in  the Counter-Strike: International Offensive ecosystem has been the idea that the now 10-year-old FPS can be ported to Valve’s present in-house engine, Source 2. This previous week, the hypothesis and whispers have gone into overdrive, with many satisfied {that a} ‘new’ model of maybe the iconic PC game is on the way in which.

CS:GO because it stands was made with Valve’s older Source engine. What an improve to Source 2 would really appear to be is the topic of some debate, with some starry-eyed concerning the prospect of a rebuilt game that follows within the longer historical past of Counter-Strike being re-released in new kinds, whereas others are extra downbeat and count on any eventual Source 2 model to be ‘solely’ a minor visible improve, probably with the official 128-tick servers gamers have lengthy pined for.

Final week a leak buried in Nvidia’s newest drivers not solely reignited hypothesis concerning the Source 2 model of CS:GO, however despatched it into orbit with a number of outstanding group members and the esports determine Richard Lewis becoming a member of in to flesh out the leak with reviews. First information miner Aquarius discovered a pair of config profiles added to the most recent Nvidia graphics drivers, each referred to as “Counter-Strike 2”, and two executables referred to as “cs2.exe” and “csgos2.exe.”

I’ve checked the information they usually’re there, so this no less than is actual. There are additionally different references to it elsewhere in Nvidia’s different software program, like GeForce Expertise, however maybe essentially the most telling tidbit of all is that no matter that is will use the identical Steam app ID as Counter-Strike: International Offensive, which is 730. Do not count on this to be a full-on sequel.

Then: the megaton! Valve up to date the CS:GO twitter banner picture to at least one that merely learn “Counter-Strike.” Then, briefly order, it up to date the picture once more, to the basic CS silhouette of a CT aiming their weapon. Then it up to date once more, this time returning to the “Counter-Strike” textual content however including the tagline “Huge followers of #TheNightShift” (a little bit of a group in-joke which the CS: GO account has made earlier than). I do know, I do know: Source 2 confirmed!

This wasn’t sufficient for one decided CS:GO-er who put the emblem picture by means of numerous filters to disclose… a smudge within the background. In a transparent signal that somebody at Valve watches all these items with no small diploma of amusement, the CS:GO Twitter banner up to date as soon as once more, this time to the Counter-Strike brand with hidden textual content studying “It is a banner. Nothing extra. Promise.”

The wonderful Counter-Strike YouTuber 3kliksPhilip has a video that succinctly nails the mindset with which all such issues are greeted by the group, and goes over the varied potentialities of what’s really taking place.

Then there is a report from the journalist Richard Lewis, a determine with a controversial previous however an amazing observe report of esports scoops. I can not corroborate any of Lewis’s claims, however here is his full report, and take this extract with applicable warning:

“The sources defined that the creation of the game had been one thing of a precedence for Valve’s crew, which incorporates members which have overseen improvement of earlier iterations within the Counter-Strike franchise. This, they mentioned, ought to clarify why some points with CS:GO have been largely unattended to for a while. “The massive precedence is getting this out after which sprucing it, fixing any bugs and bringing it as much as the extent folks count on from CS.”

The report says the game can be on Source 2, characteristic 128-tick servers at beta launch, and an overhauled matchmaking system. Lewis’ report actually has people chomping on the bit, and he is actually not alone in believing that Valve has been quietly testing CS:GO Source 2 and is now able to roll that out to a wider viewers.

Extra curious are another indicators that stars are aligning, such because the creation of an official CS:GO Tiktok account (which to this point has amassed 28,000 followers with out posting something). Curiously sufficient when Aquarius, the dataminer who observed the Nvidia stuff, commented on this account, the official CS:GO Twitter replied with its most up-to-date exercise: The ‘Cover the Ache Harold’ meme.

For some within the Counter-Strike group, and lord is aware of I am amongst them, that is all an excessive amount of. Theories of the Source 2 model of CS:GO have been round for therefore lengthy now that it is turn into a white whale, one thing whose pursuit everyone knows is finally folly: And but, to dream. To see Mud 2 with overhauled textures and physics, to have your grenades contact on Mirage in a brand new trend, to hurry An extended as soon as extra as a result of they will by no means count on it: However trying higher than ever.

What’s subsequent for Counter-Strike is just not but recognized however, if there’s smoke where there’s hearth, one thing is occurring. I’ve clearly contacted Valve and, you’ll be shocked to listen to, there is no response. However everyone knows how Valve rolls by now. If Counter-Strike Source 2 is occurring, and it actually appears to be like prefer it, count on this factor to launch with out fanfare at 3 am on a wet Thursday morning.