Fresh wave of CS2 beta invites issued after latest Overpass update

Did you make it in?

A sewer tunnel and water outside a construction hut underneath a bridge on Overpass in Counter-Strike 2.
Screenshot by Dot Esports via Valve

Counter-Strike players hungry for their chance to join Valve’s CS2 beta may get their chance this week after the developer revealed another round of invites to the beta following July 17’s expansive update.

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Much like the major update on June 6, Valve has opened up the beta for more players, yet still many are confused by what parameters the devs are using to determine who gets a beta key.

Players who missed this wave expressed their disappointment on social media in what is becoming a recurring point of discussion for the community.

For those who missed out on the CS2 invite wave—myself included—don’t fret. Valve followed up with a small update for those languishing in CS:GO, including a variety of additions like squeaky door sounds on the portable toilets on Vertigo and a cool new belt-fed animation for the game’s least-popular weapon, the M249.

In the bigger CS2 update, Overpass got a complete visual touch-up and some pretty major competitive changes to the layout. Wingman, the faster-paced two-versus-two version of CS, is also now available in the beta.

Up until now, map ports in CS2 fell under two categories; Touchstone, meaning a clean-up of a few blemishes but otherwise untouched competitively, or Upgrades, a moderate change to visual quality and layout designed to change how the map plays.

Overpass is the first Overhaul map, with a complete rework from the ground up. While the map is expected to play quite similarly as the basic layout remains, a fully-open skybox and a visual refresh in key points of interest on the map will certainly play a part in how teams will approach the map in CS2.

Related: Vertigo escapes CS2 changes but its days look numbered anyway

Vertigo also joined Overpass in the active map pool for CS2 with the update, but compared to the grandiose rework the German-inspired map received, plus Vertigo’s absence from CS2 Competitive, players believe the map is on its way out.

Author
Image of Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com