When Is CSGO Source 2 Coming Out? An Overview

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We’re taking on the heroic task of trying to find out when is CSGO Source 2 coming out!

The elephant in the room! CSGO Source2 is long overdue. Some people still consider it a myth, others are calculating the possible drop date. A graphics engine update has been requested by the international community for quite a while now, and a port to the newer version of Valve’s inhouse tech environment has been semi-officially announced. But, how much of it is true? Come along for a condensed recap of available info and our own prognosis in that matter.

What is Source 2 Engine?

Source 2 is a graphic engine developed by Valve for several years as of now. It is based on the same assumptions as its predecessor, Source, but is adapted to utilize modern technological solutions (like 64-bit support, advanced asset management, ready-to-go Vulkan 3D support etc.)  and prepared to work with similar efficiency on similar platforms.

For the last three years, cautious releases were created with the use of the engine, starting with the likes of Artifact, which didn’t have to prove much in the way of tech advancement, but could already serve as proving ground for new solutions. Half-Life: Alyx was the landmark game that showed the engine’s efficiency in generating high-fidelity environments in virtual reality. Recently, Valve released Aperture Desk Job as a mini-game/tech demo utilizing Source 2 on Steam Deck.

What is CSGO Source 2?

The Counter-Strike franchise has been presented with two main graphics engines throughout its operations. The first mod versions up until its most popular standalone 1.6 iteration was built on the GoldSrc engine that has been crafted specifically for the original Half Life. Counter-Strike: Condition Zero used the same engine, but with updated textures, models and other tweaks.

The big change came around Counter-Strike: Source, named after the engine it’s been ported to. Source is a worthy offspring of the GoldSrc that has been used in a plethora of Valve games since and proved to be very flexible to small upgrades for specific releases. While a certain atmosphere that always comes along with it (most likely due to its tech limitations) earned it a specific reputation, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been riding on its back since 2013 and stood the test of time as a shooter accessible on all kinds of PC setups.

However, with the game’s popularity, and Valve’s intentions to beautify the game (e.g. gradually introducing new shaders that allowed them to introduce skins like Desert Eagle | Printstream or AK-47 | Nightwish), it’s no wonder an engine update is imminent. Source 2 showed the world its power with the tantalizing Half Life: Alyx and stirred a lot of hope for new robes in the form of the CS GO Source 2 release.

Gabe Follower, a popular CSGO Youtuber is whetting the community's appetite by porting existing CSGO maps to a work-in-progress Source 2 environment.

Is CSGO On Source 2 Or Old Source?

As said before, for now, it’s still utilizing the Source engine that has most likely been squeezed out of all of its potential. However, Source 2 CSGO is almost sure to come… someday. How so?

When Is Source 2 Coming To CSGO?

This is harder to give an answer than one could imagine. The first official confirmation of an engine update has been reported as early as 2020 with a promise of a release in the next two months. Much later, certain Dota 2 updates turned out to contain hidden code that pointed strongly to engine development. However, it’s no mystery that the ‘Rona-induced lockdowns have slowed down all of Valve’s efforts as they tried to embrace the remote work model with rocky results.

It wouldn’t come off as a surprise if more technical difficulties arose from the switch and needed to be addressed before open betas, but, as usual, we’re not let behind the scenes at all. Still, we managed to get a peek via the game’s backend. Changes to CSGO’s source code in recent updates suggest that some kind of implementation is already underway.

But Is Source 2 Coming To CSGO This Year?

There’s one more clue for an upcoming CSGO Source Engine 2 premiere that is rarely discussed. The last content update (excluding the new map roster introduced after Riptide ended), Dreams & Nightmares Case, was released in January this year. With the tempo of market infusions in the last two years it’s starting to look like a long break. While several-month intervals in skin premieres is nothing new in CS, it might mean the dev team is focused on something else than new assets.

The last time Valve took a longer break from releasing Counter-Strike operations (Hydra dropped at the end of 2017, Shattered Web came in 2019), they were busy updating the game with Danger Zone mode. Thus, our guess is, if there is no new operation in the next two or three months, we can expect Source 2 CSGO to drop in the second half of the year.

Summary

Whew! Valve’s future plans are always an elusive topic. We’re only fed breadcrumbs, and these often lead to dead ends. However, as we’ve shown above, there’s enough hints to believe that CSGO Source 2 is on its way. No matter if it’s true or not, we’ll keep you updated and add some more info to this article when it shows up. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed!

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