Counter-Strike 2 brings many massive changes to the game, but also numerous small player requests are finally fulfilled by the developers.
Valve has unveiled Counter-Strike 2 and the community is excited about the big changes presented. However, aside from the Smokes and improved servers, there are also numerous small requests that have been fulfilled.
Grenade Cam for better practice
Grenades and the different lineups have always played a big role in Counter-Strike. Nothing will change in Counter-Strike 2. But so that the players can practice even better, there is a new feature: a grenade cam.
Smoking from A site to B on Dust II 👀
The new grenade cam is AMAZING in counterstrike2 🎥 pic.twitter.com/nByKkPbp7s
– ESL Counter-Strike 2 (@ESLCS) March 22, 2023
This allows the trajectory of the grenades to be followed directly without having to fly after it as before. This makes it easier to practice and fine-tune different Smokes or Molotovs in training.
Jumpthrows without specific keybind
Another new feature in Counter-Strike 2 is the simplification of jumpthrows. In CS:GO, this specific trick required a keybind to consistently throw grenades while jumping. This required players to make changes in their autoexec file, not exactly obvious to newer players.
For Counter-Strike 2, the custom keybind via autoexec has finally been dropped. On Source 2, the engine is good enough that it only takes the right timing on the part of the players for jumpthrows to work.
In CS2 jump throws are possible and consistent without a bind, therefore there is no jump throw bind. Try jump throws and let us know what you think.
– CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
You are able to land jump throw smokes consistently WITHOUT a jump throw bind in counterstrike2 👀 pic.twitter.com/NruWWAu7uX
– ESL Counter-Strike 2 (@ESLCS) March 23, 2023
Drawing on the map
Another desired feature that has been occupying the community for a long time is the possibility to draw on the in-game map. Until now, you had to use tools outside of the game so that you could present complicated strategies to your teammates.
With CS2, this step is no longer necessary.
Drawing on map CONFIRMED @jamesbardolph ✏️ pic.twitter.com/45F6PPqPLe
– ESL Counter-Strike 2 (@ESLCS) March 23, 2023
So we can look forward to better coordination even in the solo cue with unknown teammates.
UI and more
On the announcement website Valve also announced numerous improvements in the user interface. Some of them can already be seen in the Limited Test Beta, for example a radius on the minimap that shows how far to hear your steps.
Another, purely visual feature is the effects that are displayed when you multikill in a round. Similar to VALORANT as shroud happily pointed out.
Fans will also be pleased with other minor changes. For example, players can actually see their characters’ legs and feet for the first time.
FEET 😍 pic.twitter.com/33fz9aJsOT
– ESL Counter-Strike 2 (@ESLCS) March 22, 2023
There are already fans asking for skins for shoes and trousers in response to this on (Reddit) and the idea doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
The Limited Test Beta has not been accessible for very long and more and more minor changes are being discovered. Counter-Strike 2 seems to meet all expectations so far and also to consider the many smaller wishes of the fans.
Test Playing Counter-Strike 2: These are the rules
How can I join Counter-Strike 2? You can’t sign up for the test, instead Valve will select the test players themselves. For example, your playing time in CS:GO and the status of your Steam account will be evaluated – so if you have behaved impeccably so far and have invested a lot of time in the shooter, your chances are not bad.
You cannot sign up for the test, instead Valve will select the test players themselves.
What’s in the test version of Counter-Strike 2? According to the description, the new technical and graphic improvements have already been implemented, so you can look forward to realistic smoke, better sound and revised environments.
The available modes are Team Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive, Dust 2 is the only map, but more maps are to follow.
How do I know if I have been selected? Log in to CS:GO via Steam. If you are eligible to take part in the test phase, you will see the corresponding option in the main menu.
Is there a second chance to take part? If you didn’t get access at the start of the test phase, you don’t have to throw in the towel right away. Valve will gradually add more people. So it’s best to check your CS:GO account regularly.
Watch out for scammers! Valve explicitly warns via Twitter that no keys or messages for the test phase will be sent. If you receive such mails, it is a scam! Do not give any account data and do not click on links.
Beware of scams. The only way to check for Limited Test access is to launch CS:GO through Steam and check the Main Menu.
Do not log into third party sites claiming to check your Steam account for access or offering Limited Test access or keys; there are no Limited Test keys.
– CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
We will of course keep you updated as more new features are announced.