CS:GO vets slam Counter-Strike 2’s “underwhelming” launch

Counter-Strike 2 quickly became one of the year’s most anticipated releases after its surprise reveal midway through 2023, but the game’s full launch has left some CS:GO vets wanting.

Counter-Strike 2 isn’t exactly the biggest switch-up from the CS:GO formula, with much of the game remaining intact between releases. However, changes to smokes, the physics engine, massive graphical improvements, and other small yet noticeable adjustments had players excited for the release.

However, this comes with the caveat that Counter-Strike 2 is entirely replacing CS:GO. As of right now, public CS:GO matches aren’t playable, and many believe CS2 is missing some essential features from its predecessor.

This has led to some longtime fans of the series bashing Counter-Strike 2 for being, in many ways, worse than CS:GO without the option to go back to the game they love.

Counter-Strike 2 slammed by longtime CS:GO players

Counter-Strike 2’s arrival has re-ignited the player base and gotten new players to hop into the series. Considering it’s one of the most popular esports titles in the world, those who have heard of it but never played took this as the perfect opportunity to jump in.

However, those who already had access to the beta and wanted some features that were missing from CSGO didn’t find them in CS2’s launch. And, with the game they’ve been playing for over a decade unavailable, there’s nothing to go back to.

CS content creator Anomaly put Valve on blast for the game’s release state for missing maps, modes, and other features that CS:GO had. Many others agreed with him, calling the game’s release “underwhelming.”

While this is the official launch, many players feel as if they were forced into testing CS2 rather than being able to choose to play a beta.

Additionally, some players have discovered niche gameplay issues with mechanics like boosting not working properly. CS2 may be a bit rougher around the edges than initially thought.

Valve got in on the commiserations as CS:GO’s final servers went down ahead of launch. The deep history of the title has placed it amongst the best competitive gaming has to offer.

However, this doesn’t mean players aren’t happy with Counter-Strike 2 and its release’s wealth of new issues. Love it or hate it, we’re stuck with CS2 now.