Counter-Strike 2 pulls off a monumental task

polygon.com:

In the months following the announcement of Counter-Strike 2in March, the average number of active Global Offensive players grew by nearly 30%. That number is still holding, as the new edition has completely revitalized the game, adding some sheen to a shooter that was beginning to tarnish. It has re-entered the zeitgeist and asserted itself in a genre that’s been co-opted by battle royales and extraction shooters. Counter-Strike is back, baby.

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There are significant visual upgrades at play here – lighting, textures, smoke effects – and numerous quality-of-life updates regarding the buy-menu and user interface; but the real story here is that we’re even talking about Counter-Strike in 2023. It’s topping livestream charts again. YouTube is lit up with Counter-Strike 2 videos. There’s a buzz, and the game deserves every bit of it. If all goes smoothly, this buzz will roll over into competitive play with expanded leagues and prize pools. The community seems poised for Valve’s shooter to flourish once again.

Part of Counter-Strike 2’s early success is in how smooth the transition from Global Offensive to sequel has been. Valve has done a wonderful job easing the player base into all of the changes throughout a lengthy closed beta. What’s more, all of my weapon skins and upgrades have seamlessly transferred. Many