According to Valve, "Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come." Counter-Strike 2 will arrive as a free update to CS:GO, where upgraded visuals, map overhauls, fancy new smoke effects, and a new Source 2 engine that improves server tick rates are all on the cards.

And speaking of fancy smoke effects, here's a look at the fully 3D smoke in Counter-Strike 2 which dynamically renders in the environment and interacts with objects. Yeah, it looks cool.



And here's a look at the map overhauls. Some will look familiar to what's come before with others making full use of Valve's Source 2 engine - with support for mods.



There's a lot more to the update, including revamped effects, UI changes, and even audio updates.

Head here to check it out in full.
Head here for the Counter-Strike 2 FAQ over on Steam.

Counter-Strike 2 is on track for release in mid-2023, with a Limited Test for some CS:GO players happening soon.