Counter-Strike 2 launches without many of Global Offensive’s best features

rockpapershotgun.com:

Counter-Strike 2 released last night and has duly taken over from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as Steam’s most-played game at the time of writing, but individual player reactions are a bit mixed. Valve’s new/revamped free-to-play FPS sports a range of exotic features and fixtures, from swirlier, reactive smoke to new server architecture, but it has launched without many of the modes, maps and functions Global Offensive diehards are accustomed to, after a decade of updates.

Here’s what Counter-Strike 2 offers at the time of writing, according to Valve's FAQ page and advance reports from RPS reviewer Ed Thorn. The launch modes are Deathmatch, Casual, Wingman, Competitive, and Premier mode (the latter being only available to Counter-Strike Prime subscribers, who get exclusive cosmetics and the ability to matchmake with other Prime subs).

The launch maps (some of which are in the game’s “Active Duty” pool for competitive players) are Mirage, Overpass, Vertigo, Inferno, Ancient, Nuke, Anubis, Dust 2, Office and Italy. If you bought skins and cosmetics in Global Offensive, you'll find them all where you left them as well.

And here are a few things that aren’t in the game versus CSGO, at the time of writing. Community server support and the map workshop are “coming soon”. There’s no Mac support and no indication as to when it’ll be added. Certain beloved Counter-Strike maps, like Train and Cache, are absent. There’s no War Games mode, no Arms Race, and no option to carry a gun in your character's left hand.

While many launch players are happy with Counter-Strike 2's changes - for example, the fact that you can now choose weekly care package rewards - there's plenty of blowback on Reddit. "They cut half the game lol,"