Earlier this year, Valve revealed Counter-Strike 2, along with a modest test that allowed a subset of the player base to see it firsthand. Since then, the developer has been utilizing the test to, well, test stuff. They’ve changed the order of the maps, added new features one at a time, and polished the game before users start flocking to it. And that moment is now.
The limited test is now open to a far larger spectrum of Counter-Strike 2: Global Offensive players thanks to a recent update that also changes the map length and the ranking system.
The ranking system has undergone significant alterations, with a brand-new CS Rating determining players’ positions on global and regional leaderboards that are updated after each competitive season. Separate ratings will apply to the competitive playlists that are not in Premier mode, which is meant to be the main competitive focus in Counter-Strike 2. The latter apply based on each map and use the current skill rankings, so you may be Global Elite in Dust 2 and Silver in Vertigo.
Additionally, the number of rounds in a competitive match has seen a significant shift. Each team plays 15 rounds as a terrorist and 15 rounds as a counter-terrorist, with the option of overtime rounds in the event of a tie.
Because of these adjustments, the developers believe that competitive matches can now be won in fewer rounds, and shorter matches mean players can play more, and more often. Therefore, in Premier, Competitive, and the Majors, CS2 will now have a maximum round limit of 24, with six-round overtime in the event of a tie game.
This comes after Counter-Strike: GO introduced 15-round short matches several years ago, which are remarkably effective. This seems like a wise adjustment to me as a frequent CS: GO player; if it can cut the length of an average competitive match by about 15 minutes without losing its feel, great. In addition, Valve says it anticipates the structure and flow of matches to evolve as the community adapts and allows room for additional adjustments.
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