Counter-Strike 2, Explained
Counter-Strike 2 replaced CS:GO as Valve's live competitive shooter, rebuilt on the Source 2 engine. This page covers what actually changed under the hood and in everyday play, without trying to track a live patch-by-patch changelog — for that, Valve's own CS2 blog is the accurate source.
Updated September 16, 2026
What actually changed
CS2’s headline change is the move from the original Source engine to Source 2, the same engine family Valve uses for Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx. That rebuild touches nearly everything visually — lighting, smoke rendering (smokes are now volumetric and interact with the environment rather than a flat sprite), and general fidelity — while keeping the core game (economy, weapon behavior, competitive maps) recognizably the same game CS:GO players already knew.
| Area | CS:GO | CS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Source | Source 2 |
| Tick processing | Fixed-tick (commonly 64 or 128 tick servers) | Subtick — actions timestamped independent of server tick |
| Smokes | Flat sprite, static | Volumetric, reactive to grenades and gunfire |
| Inventory | Carried into CS2 automatically | Same inventory, continued in CS2 |
| Maps | Original Source-built competitive pool | Rebuilt in Source 2 with updated lighting/geometry |
Why subtick matters in practice
Under fixed-tick netcode, two players’ actions happening a few milliseconds apart could be resolved as simultaneous if they landed in the same tick window — a source of frustration in close-timing duels. Subtick records the precise moment of each input (shot fired, movement started) independent of the server’s tick rate, which Valve describes as producing more accurate hit registration and peeker timing. This is a genuine architectural change, not just a marketing label, though how much it’s felt varies by connection quality and server region.
What stayed the same
The core competitive loop — round-based bomb defusal, the buy-menu economy, weapon stats, and the base skin/case/inventory system — carried over directly rather than being redesigned. If you played CS:GO, CS2’s fundamentals (recoil patterns, grenade lineups on returning maps, economy management) transfer directly; the differences are mostly under the hood and in visual fidelity rather than in how the game is played round to round.
Where this site fits in
This guide focuses on what changed structurally, not live balance changes or the current competitive meta — those move too fast for a static page to track accurately. For skin-specific mechanics that matter to this site’s focus (float values, rarity tiers, case drops), see the related guides linked below.
FAQ
Is CS2 a sequel or an update to CS:GO?
Functionally it replaced CS:GO outright — when CS2 launched, CS:GO stopped receiving updates and players were migrated to CS2 as the live game. It's best described as a full engine rebuild of the same core game (same maps, same weapons, same economy) rather than a new sequel with new content.
What's 'subtick' netcode and why does it matter?
CS:GO's engine processed player actions (shooting, moving) in fixed time slices called ticks, meaning an action's exact timing was rounded to the nearest tick. Subtick processes the exact moment an action happened independent of the tick rate, which Valve states improves accuracy for things like shot timing and peeking, especially relevant for competitive play.
Did my CS:GO inventory carry over to CS2?
Yes — skins, cases and other inventory items from CS:GO carried over to CS2 accounts at launch, since it's the same underlying Steam inventory system rather than a separate game.
Are all CS:GO maps in CS2?
Most of the competitive map pool carried over, rebuilt in Source 2 with updated lighting and visual detail, though Valve has added, removed and reworked specific maps from the active pool over time as part of normal competitive rotation — check the in-game map pool or Valve's blog for what's currently active rather than relying on a fixed list here.
Where can I find the current patch notes?
Valve publishes official CS2 updates on the game's Steam news page and counterstrike2.net — that's the accurate source for anything patch-specific, since a static guide page like this one goes stale the moment a real update ships.
18+ only. This page reflects our own research and editorial judgement; signing up through links here may earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Gambling involves risk — never stake more than you can afford to lose. Support: begambleaware.org.