Courtesy: Valve
Counter-Strike 2 is in the works, the hit game franchise's developers Valve announced Thursday, in what it described as the "largest technical leap forward" in the game's history.
In a statement on its website, Counter Strike calls it an upgrade to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), which will be available for free for its users this coming summer.
"Counter-Strike 2 is the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come," it said.
Counter Strike 2 comes more than 10 years after CS:GO, which has been regularly updated with patches and minor improvements.
Counter Strike 2 will see "full overhaul maps" along with upgrades and "reimagined" visual effects. CS:GO users will also be allowed to bring their entire inventory into the new Counter Strike game. CS2 will also enhance the game's audio.
The game has opened a free beta test for select CS:GO users where they will be "be evaluating a subset of features to shake out any issues before the worldwide release."
Counter Strike is a household title among first-person shooting enthusiasts in the Philippines, particularly professional players who have since retired and moved to first-person shooting game Valorant, developed by Riot Games.
The Counter Strike: Global Offensive esports scene in the Philippines saw the rise of local first-player shooting stars, notably Valorant Pacific League squad Team Secret's Jayvee "Dubstep" Paguirigan and Jim "Borkum" Timbreza.
The trio of Deko "Papichulo" Evangelista Johnty "JA" Arone and Riley "witz" Go from Pinoy Valorant champions NAOS Esports also had their roots in CS:GO.