Is Counter-Strike 2 Free To Play On Steam?
Counter-Strike 2 is a name that needs no introduction. It is one of the biggest names in the online gaming community and stands as the top most-played game on the Steam platform with over a million players. The game has seen many iterations over its lifetime spanning well over two decades, each successful in its own right and always improving upon its predecessor. As much as this success comes as a result of the dedication from Valve who have ensured that the game remains fair, competitive, and performing well all this time, the larger CS community deserves equal recognition for taking it to heights no one could have ever imagined.
However, in recent years, everyone from CS influencers to the general playing community has been advocating for a new iteration of the game, since the old Source engine was starting to show serious signs of aging. Counter-Strike 2, built on top of Valve’s new Source 2 engine, comes to the rescue.
The Announcement of Counter-Strike 2
On March 22, 2023, Valve shook the global Counter-Strike community like never before. Players across the world were finally greeted with an announcement that none of them had seen coming, but one that all of them had been anticipating for years. CS2 had finally been announced by Valve, and the accompanying trailers left players astounded. The new Source 2 engine, specifically with its lighting, seemed to have completely changed the look of the game, bringing it to modern-day standards. Several new changes to the meta were teased as well, such as sub-tick servers, the new smoke grenade physics, and the look of the skins on the new engine.
CS2 Limited Test
The announcement of CS2 also brought with it invitations to a Limited Test of the Beta aimed at a small segment of the community, mainly comprised of e-sport stars, CS content creators, and influencers, as well as regular players. Since then, there have been two further waves of invitations, each slightly increasing the number of players with access to the beta, but at the same time keeping the number intentionally low so as not to overwhelm the servers and to cater to other technicalities.
CS2 had been slated for a summer 2023 release, but many players couldn’t wait to join in on the action. Many were still left wondering whether they should hold on to their Steam balances to buy the game once it was released, or if the game would update to the new version free of charge.
So, Is CS2 Free To Play?
Yes! Counter-Strike 2 is free to play on Steam, as it is a free upgrade to its predecessor. However, the Prime Account Status Upgrade remains in place for CS2, purchasable like it was before. This means that if you didn’t already have a Prime account from the game’s previous version, you don’t have a Prime account in CS2 either, and will have to buy that in order to enjoy its benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions and answered them for you.
Does my Prime account status carry over to CS2?
Yes. Players who already had Prime accounts before have their status updated and carry over to the new iteration of the game.
Do I get to keep my skins?
Yes. All Weapon skins, Agents, Stickers, and other cosmetics carry over to CS2, albeit with slight modifications to the design element, in order to meet the specifications of the new Source 2 engine on which the game is built.
Concluding Remarks
Counter-Strike 2 promises to completely revolutionize the game as we know it. The game is a huge technical leap, with the Source 2 Engine promising to provide a solid foundation on which it will continue to evolve and improve in the coming years.
