Valve has finally put an end to the rumors and announced Counter-Strike 2, a replacement for the critically acclaimed tactical FPS refuse-to-die shooter CS:GO. Well, thanks to the Counter-Strike 2 hype and its impending summer 2023 release, even more players are now playing Counter-Strike. By the way, if you’re wondering what’s new, here’s everything you need to know about Counter Strike 2. But in this guide, we’ll explain how to play CS2 Beta and share tips on how to increase your chances of getting to the To be invited to test the game. With that said, it’s time to look at the steps to gain access to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Beta Test.
How to Play Counter-Strike 2 Beta (2023)
Anyone can be invited to the Counter-Strike 2 beta test as long as the player meets a few basic criteria. We’ll discuss these in the next section, where we’ll tell you how to increase your chances of participating in the Counter-Strike 2 Restricted Trial. For now, here’s how to check if you’ve been invited to the Counter-Strike 2 beta:
1. First open Steam. Download and install Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (free) if you haven’t already. While CS:GO will later be replaced by Counter-Strike 2, it will still be available for now. Players can only receive invites to CS2 through the existing game. I’m assuming you already have Steam, but if not you can download it from the link here.
2. Start Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I am assuming that you are already a Steam user and have played CS:GO before. If you haven’t, it will probably be a long time before you get access to CS2 Beta. This is because Valve is currently offering it to players with a good trust factor already established in CS:GO. Your last playing time on official Valve servers is also important.
3. Once in the CS main menu, you should receive a notification for Counter-Strike 2 Limited Access beta (if selected). Check out the tweet (courtesy of Twitter/HLTV.org) below to see what the option looks like for players selected by Valve for the CS2 beta. As previously mentioned, any player can gain access to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Trial. It’s not just pros and influencers who have streamed the game.
4. Once you have signed up for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Trial, Steam will begin downloading CS2 onto your computer. Once installed, you will be given the option to choose between CS:GO or CS2 when you click Play in Steam.
How to increase your chances of playing Counter Strike 2 Beta
Well, if you didn’t get access to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited test, don’t fret because Valve has confirmed that they will be adding more players to the test very soon. You didn’t mention anything about requiring Prime status. Even if you don’t have it, you can get access to CS2 Beta. Here’s what Valve has to say about how players are selected for the CS2 beta: See more
The selection of players for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test is based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team including (but not limited to) recent game time on the official Valve servers, the Trust Factor and Steam Account Reputation. — CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
Nonetheless, we have a few tips to help you increase your chances of getting into the beta. You can do the following:
Play more Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on official Valve servers. Play in competitive matchmaking or casual mode as much as possible. This will increase your game time and is one of the main factors (but not the only one) affecting whether you will be able to access CS2. Avoid playing on community servers as they do not count as game time on Valve’s official servers. Try to play every day and check the main menu often for the CS2 Beta Test invite. Be a good sport and ask players or friends to recommend you. Playing in a non-toxic way, being a good teammate and helping others will definitely increase your confidence factor. Make sure your Steam account is in good standing by not having VAC bans. And if you have one, you might be shunned as a potential CS2 beta tester.
To be honest I’ve been playing Counter-Strike for over 10 years (and also have CS 1.6 on my Steam account). In CS:GO I have over 2,000 hours, a 5 year service medal and over 500 competitive wins. With the release of Counter-Strike 2, I rushed to download the game again and see if I had access. I even played a competitive game and unlocked the Gold Nova Master rank.
However, I have not yet received an invitation to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited test. To increase my chances, we’ve been playing every day since the announcement, hoping to get into the CS2 beta soon. If you’ve been a loyal Counter-Strike player for years and didn’t make it into the beta, we sympathize. But as mentioned, Valve has confirmed that they will be letting more players into the Counter-Strike 2 Beta over time.
Beware of Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test Scams
It is very important to note that there are NO official keys for Counter-Strike 2. You can only access the game from the CS:GO main menu Command Prompt. There are tons of videos and websites out there trying to trick people into giving up their Steam account or paying them to buy keys to join the Counter-Strike 2 limited beta test. You must be careful and avoid these scams at all costs. You should be extremely careful as people impersonate Valve to deceive others. Here’s Valve’s official stance on the cheating situation: See more
Beware of scams. The only way to check limited trial access is to launch CS:GO from Steam and check the main menu.
Do not log into third-party websites that claim to verify your Steam account for access or offer limited trial access or keys; there are no restricted trial keys. — CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
frequently asked Questions
How often are players added to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited test?
Valve has confirmed that more players will be added to the CS2 beta over time. They asked players to check their main menu for a possible invite.
Is Counter-Strike 2 free to play?
Yes, Counter-Strike 2 will be a free game. It will be just like many other Valve games like Dota 2, CS:GO and Team Fortress 2.
Will my CS:GO Prime status carry over to Counter-Strike 2?
Yes, Valve has confirmed that the user’s Prime status will be transferred from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2.
Will Counter-Strike 2 replace CS:GO?
Yes, Counter-Strike 2 will replace CS:GO when it launches this summer of 2023. Existing game items and weapon skins will also be ported to the new game.
Will Counter-Strike 2 come to PS5?
Valve has no official plans or information regarding the release of Counter-Strike 2 on PS5. However, CS:GO exists on consoles.
Is Counter-Strike 2 the Source 2 update people have been waiting for?
Yes, Counter-Strike 2 is based on the Source 2 engine and is one of the major updates to the game.
Can you play CS:GO separately while the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Trial is taking place?
Yes, you can currently play CS:GO separately from Counter-Strike 2. But eventually the new game will replace the old one.
Does Valve allow Counter Strike 2 gameplay to be recorded and live streamed on YouTube and Twitch?
Yes, players are allowed to stream and record their Counter-Strike 2 gameplay. You can post it on social media and streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube and Twitter.
Have fun with the new beta version of Counter-Strike 2
It’s been a long time since gamers waited for CS:GO 2 or the next major update in the Counter-Strike series, asks the Source 2 update. We’ve been looking for leaks for a long time, and now Valve has officially announced the game. If you’ve followed the steps in this guide, you’ll be able to find out if you’ve been invited to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Trial. We also talked about how you can increase your chances of getting into the beta. Have you already received access to the CS2 Beta? What do you think of Counter Strike 2? Let us know in the comments and if you have any doubts we will definitely help you.
