CS2 is here, and it's beautiful
The time has come.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is no more, and Counter-Strike 2 lives and breathes.
The successor to one of the most revered games of all time, and possibly the most beloved FPS of all time, was officially released on Wednesday night after a successful beta phase.
Ranks have been reset, so you'll need to grind out Premier and Matchmaking ranks (now for each map individually) once again, but there's something very refreshing about a blank slate.
Losing CSGO hurts, but we can deal with it, given what we received in return.
This is possibly the most exciting time there's ever been for Counter-Strike, so get downloading, get yourself in a game and bring some friends. It's a great time to get your mates who've never touched the game into it.
The changes
If you've not been keeping up with the beta, here's what's changed.
- There's been some huge visual changes, with the new gorgeous water physics being the most impressive.
- Inferno feels like a real, living Italian town,
- While Overpass has leant into the German part of its design.
- Smokes now fill the space, leading to fewer one-ways and more forgiving line-ups, and can be temporarily removed by a HE grenade.
Inferno is looking sexy in CS2The new Premier leaderboard lets you see just how close - or far away - you are to the pros and compare yourself with your friends, presuming everybody stays on the official servers.
The new 'subtick' system means that the game server should respond more frequently and improve hit registration and everything else that comes with it.
There's heaps of new changes, but these are the big ones - it's best to jump in and experience it for yourself.
Guides to get you started with CS2
We've gathered a couple of quick-guides to get you started with CS2: