Boom. It’s real. Counter-Strike 2 is official and it’s coming this year.
Valve revealed the announcement for the worst-kept secret in gaming on a Wednesday afternoon in March, sending the gaming and esports communities into a tizzy over the news.
And what’s most exciting about the news is that a limited test for the massive CS:GO update began on day one. If you’re one of the lucky few selected to play, you could be enjoying CS on the Source 2 engine immediately.
Players will be selected to participate in the CS2 limited test “based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team, including (but not limited to) recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing.”
Related: How to get into the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test
If you’ve been chosen, a notification will appear in the main menu of CS:GO. An invitation to “enroll” will begin an update download, and the new CS is just moments away.
But when does the test come to a halt? Here’s when to expect the CS2 limited test to come to an end in 2023.
When does the CS2 beta end?
There’s currently no scheduled end date for the CS2 limited test, but the window is between now and the game’s currently scheduled launch date of summer 2023.
“Counter-Strike 2 is expected to ship Summer 2023,” Valve’s website says. “Please visit the Counter-Strike blog for up-to-date information on the limited test and future announcements.”
Basically, this means that the CS2 limited test could end at any time before the tentative summer 2023 release date. The next few months of gameplay testing will be crucial for the future of the game.
“The Limited Test only evaluates a subset of Counter-Strike 2’s features, so that major issues can be resolved before the summer,” Valve said. “But there’s much more to come. In just a few months we’ll reveal all of the details of Counter-Strike 2, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
Related: What will happen to CS:GO when Counter-Strike 2 releases?
Interestingly, “Counter-Strike 2 players will play with and against other Counter-Strike 2 players, and CS:GO players will play with and against other CS:GO players” in the limited test, Valve said.
The future of Counter-Strike is bright, both literally and figuratively thanks to the new Source 2 engine, and most players won’t have to wait much longer to experience it.
