CS:GO, also known as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, is, without a doubt, one of the most popular video games in the world, with many renowned players like S1mple and Shroud getting incredibly famous thanks to the game.
The sequel to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2, is coming soon, and fans are more than excited to play the game this year. With the release window set to Summer 2023, the long-awaited sequel has already garnered immense attention.
On August 31, Valve Corporation announced that they would allow people to play the game before its launch through its beta, implying that a few lucky players can access the game before everyone. So, how can you play CS2 before it releases? And what must you do to get an invite to access the beta version?
You’ll find all the answers to your questions below. So, keep on reading.
Counter-Strike 2: How to Gain Access to Limited Beta Test?
Apparently, in order to get an invitation to play Counter-Strike 2 Beta, you need to meet certain criteria. For starters, you have to be an active player of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the invites will be provided through a notification from the game’s main menu.
Furthermore, Valve also announced that we need other qualifications, such as having CS:GO Prime Status, unlocking competitive matchmaking ranking, and playing multiplayer games frequently in the regions where the beta test is available.
In case you aren’t an active player of CS:GO or planning to try out Counter-Strike 2 for other reasons, here is the process for how you can gain access to its beta limited test:
- Download CS:GO from Steam and Install it.
- Launch it and check your Prime Status.
- If you don’t have Prime Status, upgrade it from Steam.
- Ensure your competitive matchmaking rank is unlocked.
- Play a few matchmaking games in regions where beta is available (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia).
If you follow all the above steps, there is a chance that you may get an invite from Valve, allowing you to try out their first Beta test of Counter-Strike 2. However, considering there are many active players who have mastered the game for years, it is a tough competition.
What Can You Expect from Counter-Strike 2?
Although CS:GO is already a popular Counter-Strike game, Counter-Strike 2 will be the first game in the Counter-Strike series to utilize Valve’s Source 2 game engine, which was also used in Dota 2 in 2015.
The rest of the game’s mechanics will mostly remain similar to CS:GO, except for a few minor changes announced by Valve. Here are the specifics:
- Counter-Strike 2 will have better light reflections on the maps, which will improve its visibility during the gameplay.
- Bullets will create holes in the enemy’s body to increase the chances of finding his location during smoke screens.
- Spotlights will no longer be visible through the smoke, but the lighting will cast shadows to make it simpler.
- Players can clear the smoke by using HE Grenades to assist their teammates.
Counter-Strike 2 also contains many multiplayer game modes, including Bomb Scenario, Premier Competitive, Deathmatch, Wingman, and Hostage Scenario. Although these are the only confirmed modes so far, Valve indicated that more should roll out in the future after the beta test.
So, are you excited for the Counter-Strike 2 beta test? What game mode are you most excited about? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
