Counter-Strike 2 is -almost- here! As it was officially announced on March 22, Valve has already released some small details on what players can expect from the latest rendition in the Counter-Strike franchise. Counter-Strike 2, or CS2, will be a complete overhaul of the original game, with changes coming to every system and aspect of the CS gameplay experience, including an updated sub-tick system to ensure a smoother and more accurate gameplay experience and fresh graphics to befit modern standards. 

One of the most highly-anticipated gameplay changes will be to the iconic smoke grenades. Valve is working to make them more innovative, calling them “responsive smokes.”

What are smoke grenades in Counter-Strike? 

Smoke grenades are vital to competitive Counter-Strike gameplay, as they block the enemy vision of key map objectives as a cornerstone in the Counter-Strike experience. 

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, smokes obscured player vision in a static opaque cloud - they would always be the same size and shape no matter how or where they were thrown. Players could learn strategies to counter-play smoke grenades and abuse them by positioning themselves differently to see past it. 

With CS2, Valve will overhaul how smoke grenades work, making them more responsive to the environments and how players interact with them. 

CS2 Smoke Grenade Changes

CS2 smoke grenades

The brand-new responsive smoke grenades in Counter-Strike 2 will completely revamp the original system, adopting a more realistic feel and rendering a more 3D immersive model. The new smokes will be composed of volumetric shapes, responding to the hexagonal features of each map. 

Simply put, once they are deployed, these billowing smoke grenades will adapt to the map’s environmental factors, expanding to fill out corridors and moving around players as they move through it. Each player will always see the same smoke cloud regardless of their positioning. 

The most impactful change with the CS2 smoke grenades is how responsive they have become. As seen in the official Valve YouTube video, players can manipulate the smoke from the grenades by shooting through it. This creates a slight line-of-sight clearing through which they can see the other side, allowing new opportunities to take out unsuspecting opponents. 

All player interactions now cause the smoke to react accordingly - any bullets shot and grenades thrown inside the smoke will immediately cause some of it to dissipate, allowing for a more realistic feel. These holes are only temporary, as the smoke will close shortly after. Still, these can create short openings to gauge the enemy’s positioning and launch a counter-attack. 

Final Thoughts

Counter-Strike 2 is set to revolutionize first-person shooters as we know them, setting the bar high for any FPS games following behind. These CS2 smoke grenade changes will undoubtedly change the Counter-Strike meta, adding new and fun tactical strategies for players to get their win. Counter-Strike 2 will roll out in the Summer of 2023, with the Limited Test currently being released at random to players, so they can test these new features for themselves!