CSGO breaks all-time player record in leadup to Counter-Strike 2

CSGO has smashed its all-time peak player base after the announcement of Counter-Strike 2 sent the community into a frenzy.

CSGO reached a new high with almost 1.5 million concurrent players according to Steam’s playrate statistics, as players returned for to the shooter after Valve’s surprise announcement earlier this week.

The all-time peak capped out at 1,492,456 players, which is up almost 200,000 from last month’s figures.

The sequel, which is due to be released sometime in the summer this year, will be a free-to-play overhaul of CSGO, updating maps, gunplay and bringing new ways to play around smokes.

A limited beta test for Counter-Strike 2 is currently in operation, with more players being added over time as Valve leads up to release day.

Several pro players and streamers have already weighed in on the announced changes, with most of the comments being positive.

Swedish veteran Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg playtested the game earlier this year, and said: “my poker face game was too strong. This will be beautiful.”

Another pro player, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, tweeted out: “So excited for the future of CS with CS2.”

These reactions clearly reflected many people’s thoughts on the announcement, shown by how many players have returned to the game.

For more information on Counter-Strike 2, and how you can play the beta, check out our guide here.

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