The entire Counter-Strike community currently is stuck in a peculiar position. Like children eagerly awaiting Christmas presents, we await a massive update to CS:GO and literally a gamechanging moment: transfer to Counter-Strike 2. The main difference is that while we know exactly when New Year’s and Christmas will come, no one can really tell specific release dates for CS2. Even Valve, supposingly. In this article, CS.MONEY Blog gathered various info, leaks and opinions on when will CS2 be released. And we also talk a little about what Valve Time means.
Quick stop before we go: the day CS 2 releases will clearly initiate skins prices skyrocketing. Therefore, in order not to be left out with no skins when CS2 comes out, update your inventory on CS.MONEY Trade, since this is an easy way to trade at prices lower than on Steam.
When will Counter-Strike 2 be released?
The most accurate answer is “when it’s done”. Valve Time, the iconic meme, has been circulating in the gaming community for ages, and even the developers themselves know about it. There’s a separate website, where you can find a wide collection of cases with Announced Dates and Actual Dates, and these discrepancies worked in both directions. Valve stated that the release date for CS2 is summer 2023. We don’t know if Valve will meet this deadline. However, there are some hints and opinions that support certain dates.
Possible release dates for Counter-Strike 2
Mid-June
Out of all the circulating rumours, the CS2 Is Coming mid-June version has the most intersection from various sources. Firstly, FalleN stated that the “BLAST Premier Spring Final will probably be the last CS:GO tournament.” The competition ends on June 11, after which many top players will go on vacation. In theory, this time is well-suited for transitioning to the new version. Or to launch an open beta test?
The second interesting detail is that Valve recently updated its policy on HackerOne, a vulnerability search platform. The developer stated that they would no longer accept reports about CS:GO after June 14. Does this give us confidence in an imminent game release? No, but we will observe with interest.
July 15
Reddit users speculated that the release date of Counter-Strike 2 could be hidden in the game’s trailer. This version seems the least realistic among all. Even on this screenshot the first number could be 7 or 1; it’s unclear. Additionally, no other leaked or rumoured info supports this version at the moment.
Autumn
Despite the developers stating CS2 Is Coming In Summer 2023, a few people in the CS community are not as optimistic. And, well, that’s reasonable.
Duncan “Thorin” Shields mentioned rumours that an open beta test might start in September-October. If so, the game’s release could be delayed until 2024. Still, Thorin could’ve been just hyping around here.
Rain, a player from FaZe Clan, speculated that Counter-Strike 2 could be released in October. As we remember, even before the first announcement of CS2, FaZe Clan players have already done similar stuff, when Twistzz and karrigan tried not to spill the tea about how they were invited to closed testing in Seattle.
Bottom Line: CS2 to be released in Summer or Autumn?
So far, there is very little information about the release date of CS2, but we will continue to actively follow all the news and will immediately inform you when CS2 is released.
However, based on the experience of Valve Corp’s product releases and their overall workflow, many factors and leaks, most likely they will delay Counter-Strike 2 release until it is ready: it can be either, let’s say, September or late December. Nevertheless, there are very high chances that the game will still be released at least in open beta in the summer of 2023. So, let’s wait and see!
It’s worth noting that all CS:GO skins will be transferred to the new game, so if you were thinking of upgrading your inventory, don’t hesitate. At CS.MONEY Trade you can easily style up your game to be ready for the CS2 grandiose release with just a few clicks!
