The first major update for CS2 has been released

The release of the Counter-Strike 2 beta was one of the big news stories of the first half of 2023. However, then for a long time the developers did not make detailed announcements about either when this version will become mainstream or how it will change. On June 7, this situation changed: the developers released a major update for Counter-Strike 2. Several elements have been redesigned at once.

Interface changes

The change that catches the eye first of all – is the new shopping and equipment menu. The equipment screen is now arranged as follows:

• Teams have access to 1 starter gun slot, 4 pistol slots, 5 medium category weapon slots and 5 rifle slots.
• Weapons can be placed in any slot of the appropriate category, which opens up new tactical possibilities. 
• The interface supports drag and drop and has been redesigned to make it more compact.

In addition, the purchase interface has also changed: it is now in the form of a grid, where you can see all possible purchase options at the same time. Weapon descriptions are made clearer, and players can see what items are bought by teammates.

Tools for skinmakers

The

update will also please those who are going to create their own skins for CS:GO. The beta includes new tools for creating custom content – maps, weapon trims and stickers. You can download them through the settings menu. The Hammer level editor now utilizes raytracing capabilities when rendering maps, which speeds up their build, but raises the system requirements to fully utilize it. Steam Workshop does not yet support the addition of maps created in the new editor, but this situation should change

in the

near future.

Thus, adding new items to the game will become more friendly to new users, especially compared to the previous version of the tools, which were perceived by many as outdated and the use of them required various tricks.

Technical improvements

Further development of technical updates, which were the most noticeable news of the beta

version of the game.

Improved display of volumetric smoke in different lighting, as well as its interaction with different weapons: now shotgun shots leave more visible traces in the smoke cloud than other guns. Also, based on feedback from players, the sub-tick system has been finalized, which improves the game's responsiveness and ensures that there is no lag when pressing keys.

In addition, animations have been tweaked and some bugs have been fixed in the update. Items available on the Steam Community Market for CS:GO can now be inspected in CS2. The update has definitely taken another step towards becoming a mainstream version of the game in the near future.