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Counter-Strike 2 hub
Counter-Strike 2 is Valve’s 5v5 tactical shooter. Terrorists try to plant a bomb and Counter-Terrorists try to stop them. It runs on Valve’s Source 2 engine and replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam on 27 September 2023, using the same Steam app. The game is free. A paid Prime Status Upgrade gives Prime matchmaking and drops.
Prices checked
By Tulasiram Pemmadi · Last updated
What Counter-Strike 2 is
Counter-Strike 2 is Valve’s 5v5 tactical shooter. Terrorists try to plant a bomb and Counter-Terrorists try to stop them. It runs on Valve’s Source 2 engine and replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam on 27 September 2023, using the same Steam app. The game is free. A paid Prime Status Upgrade gives Prime matchmaking and drops.
Developer: Valve. Publisher: Valve. Official site: https://www.counter-strike.net/cs2.
Counter-Strike 2 has no official cheat codes, so there is no cheat sheet for it.
Platforms
- PC (Steam)Free on Steam for Windows (64-bit Windows 10 or newer) and Linux. There is no macOS version. Valve stopped supporting the old CS:GO macOS build when CS2 launched.
- ConsolesNo console version. Counter-Strike 2 is only on PC.
Hardware explainers: Steam Deck. Counter-Strike 2 is a PC game on Steam. The Steam Deck page explains Valve’s handheld PC. Check the game’s Steam Deck compatibility rating on Steam before you rely on it.
Editions and prices
Counter-Strike 2 is free-to-play. The table shows the base game and the official paid passes or currency packs.
| Item | US (USD) | UK (GBP) | Eurozone (EUR) | India (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 (base game) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Prime Status Upgrade | $14.99 | £11.09 | €13.29 | ₹1,370 |
Prices checked 31 October 2026 on Steam US, UK, Germany and India. Prime Status is a one-time purchase that unlocks Prime matchmaking, Prime drops and souvenir eligibility. Skins, cases and keys are optional extras, and their prices change in the game and on the Steam Community Market, so we do not list them.
Release history
| Milestone | Date and details |
|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 launch | 27 September 2023 (replaced CS:GO in the same Steam app) |
| Steam listing date | 21 August 2012, the original CS:GO release date that Steam still shows for this app |
Official PC system requirements
| Part | Minimum (Windows) | Minimum (Linux) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Processor | 4 hardware CPU threads, Intel Core i5 750 or higher | 4 hardware CPU threads, Intel Core i5 750 or higher |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | 1 GB or more, DirectX 11 compatible with Shader Model 5.0 | AMD GCN+ or NVIDIA Kepler+ with current Vulkan drivers |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Not applicable (Vulkan) |
| Storage | 85 GB | 85 GB |
Valve lists only minimum requirements for Counter-Strike 2. It does not publish recommended specs.
Counter-Strike 2 esports
Valve sanctions two Counter-Strike Majors each year. These are the top CS2 tournaments and feed Valve’s regional ranking system.
- PGL CS2 Major Singapore 2026: Dates, Prize Pool, Format
PGL Major Singapore 2026 runs 25 Nov to 13 Dec with 32 teams and a $1,250,000 prize pool. The final four days are at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Counter-Strike 2 FAQ
Is Counter-Strike 2 free?
Yes. Counter-Strike 2 is free on Steam. The optional Prime Status Upgrade costs $14.99 in the US, £11.09 in the UK, €13.29 in Germany and ₹1,370 in India (Steam, checked 31 October 2026).
What does Prime Status do?
Prime Status puts you in matchmaking with other Prime players and makes you eligible for Prime drops and souvenir packages. Players who bought CS:GO before it went free-to-play already have Prime.
Is Counter-Strike 2 on PS5, Xbox or Mac?
No. Valve released Counter-Strike 2 for Windows and Linux on Steam only.
Can my PC run Counter-Strike 2?
Steam lists 64-bit Windows 10, a 4-thread CPU such as an Intel Core i5 750, 8 GB RAM, a 1 GB DirectX 11 graphics card with Shader Model 5.0 and 85 GB of storage as the minimum.
Are there cheat codes for Counter-Strike 2?
Console commands such as sv_cheats only work on private servers you host. They do not work in matchmaking, and Valve Anti-Cheat bans third-party cheats. We do not publish a cheat sheet for CS2.
Where can I follow CS2 esports?
The Esports section of this page links our Major coverage. Valve also posts official Major news at counter-strike.net.
Sources
- Steam: Counter-Strike 2 store page (US)
- Steam: Counter-Strike 2 store page (UK)
- Steam: Counter-Strike 2 store page (Germany)
- Steam: Counter-Strike 2 store page (India)
- Counter-Strike 2 official site
Prices and requirements were checked on official stores on 31 October 2026. Anything we could not confirm is marked Unconfirmed. We do not estimate or convert prices.