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Editors' Review · September 1, 2026

Counter-Strike 2: A big step up from CS:GO

Counter-Strike is one of the most legendary FPS games of all time and for many years fans enjoyed CS:GO. However, Valve decided that it was time for a new journey and launched Counter-Striker 2. This action game is even better than the previous ones on Windows PCs.

Counter-Strike 2 has lots of cool new stuff that makes playing it a fresh experience, especially if you've played CS:GO before. Here's what's new and exciting:

What makes Counter-Strike 2 special?

  • Better Player Rankings and Premier Mode: There's a new system to rank players and an updated mode for more serious competition.
  • Leaderboards for Everyone: You can now see how you stack up against players from your area or around the world.
  • New Looks for Old Maps: Classic maps have been updated to look better and run smoother.
  • Smart Smoke Grenades: These new grenades can change how you plan your moves and work with your team.
  • Smooth Play, No Matter the Server: The game will run smoothly whether the server is fast or slow.
  • Better Sounds and Visuals: The game looks and sounds more realistic, making it more immersive.
  • Keep Your CS:GO Items: Anything you had in CS:GO, you can use in Counter-Strike 2.

We have more Counter-Strike games for you below:

When did CS2 release?

Counter-Strike 2 came out on September 27, 2023. It replaced CS:GO on Steam, so everyone moved to the new game. 

CS2 system requirements

To play Counter-Strike 2, your computer needs to meet these requirements:

  • OS: Windows® 10
  • Processor: 4 hardware CPU threads - Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Video card must be 1 GB or more and should be a DirectX 11-compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 85 GB available space

These requirements make sure that you can enjoy all the new features of Counter-Strike 2, like its better graphics and smooth gameplay. If your computer meets or exceeds these specs, you will not have to worry about lags or stutters. 

  • Pros

    • A big step up from CS:GO
    • New smoke mechanics are game-changing
    • You can finally return your gun
  • Cons

    • You might face hackers playing online
Enlarged image for Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 0/1

Technical

Title
Counter-Strike 2 varies-with-devices for Windows
Requirements
  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10
Language
English
Available languages
  • English
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Finnish
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish
  • Turkish
  • Greek
License
Full
Latest update
Author
Valve

Program available in other languages



  • Counter-Strike 2 updates C4 explosions by removing the map-wide minimum one damage, fixing damage calculations near map boundaries, and increasing the force applied to dropped weapons. The update also fixes the scoreboard refreshing while open, improves the visibility of the scraped "Sniper Ahead" sticker, restores the gold tint on season medals, and includes stability improvements.
  • Latest patch updates Cache with multiple fixes—preventing grenades from being thrown through level geometry, fixing various gaps, improving collisions, addressing flickering on some assets, removing a boost spot in Outside AShelter, and updating to the latest Community Workshop version. It also expands scripting/API support with new events and methods (TracePlayer, weapon pickup, bomb explode, grenade projectile spawning, grenade type/thrower/detonate, planted C4 state/time accessors, and defuser getters/setters), fixes Instance.RegisterCheatCommand on script reload, and deprecates bounces from the OnGrenadeBounce event.

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