Valve's pride and joy, CS2's release date is just around the corner, estimated to be September 23, 2023, as the sequel was announced back in March. Only a lucky portion of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player base have gotten a chance to play the Counter-Strike 2 limited beta test, around 0.2% of CS:GO's concurrent community of 900K players.

Here's the kicker: some players may not even realize they have Counter-Strike 2 available and waiting to download in their Steam Library! Luckily, there are some simple ways to check and see if you have access to the CS2 limited test beta.

How To See If You Have A CS2 Limited Beta Test Invite

All you need to do to check and see if you have access to Counter-Strike 2 is to load up the original CS:GO. A pop-up notification will appear on the game's main menu if you're invited to participate. If the main menu page remains in the default setting, you have yet to be invited to play the limited test.

Players should then accept the invitation if it's there, prompting CS:GO and begin downloading the Source 2 client. Once it's fully installed, you're finally good to go and log into Counter-Strike 2 and get playing!

You can also follow these steps below to check your access.

  1. First, go onto your Steam account and click "Help" then "Steam Support."
  2. After clicking that, select "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive."
  3. This menu should tell you the date you purchased CS:GO. If you have access to the limited test beta, it will also say, "Added to Steam Library as part of Counter-Strike 2: Limited Test Invite."
  4. Do not use third-party sites claiming to check your account for CS2 access or claiming to sell CS2 Beta Keys; Limited Test keys do not exist!

Valve will be sending out invites in waves, typically when they've released new updates for the CS2 beta, so keep checking back! When CS2 eventually releases, it'll be a free upgrade to the already-free version of CS:GO.

Furthermore, there are specific prerequisites your account must reach before you can even qualify for a CS2 invitation.

How To Qualify For CS2 Limited Test Access

The Counter-Strike 2 limited test is exclusive and invite-only, with only 0.2% of the player base currently holding access. Valve suggests that the requirements to be eligible for the CS2 limited test include, but aren't limited to, "recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and good Steam account standing with no recent VAC bans."

Even if you log time onto official Valve servers daily and play CS:GO non-stop, there's no guarantee you'll ever get an invite to the limited test.

New Features in Counter-Strike 2

Equipped with the brand-new modernized Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 will completely overhaul the original game. Valve has confirmed changes will be coming to every system and aspect of the original CS:GO gameplay experience.

Bet on CS:GO with our Same Game Combos!

In the limited test, Valve has launched complete visual overhauls of well-known maps players know and love, like Overpass, Mirage, and Vertigo! Upon full release, players can expect the reimagined maps, game modes, and other features to be immediately available with Counter-Strike 2.

Improved Smoke Grenades

Smoke grenades are the cornerstone of the competitive CS:GO gameplay and are often deployed to obscure the enemy's vision of objectives. In CS:GO, smoke grenades would block a player's vision in a static opaque cloud and would always be the same size and shape no matter where or how they were thrown. With CS2, smoke bombs have become more responsive, adopting a more realistic feel.

New Tick Rate System

In the original CS:GO, the tick rate for servers was locked to 64 hertz on official Valve servers. This meant that often, servers would fail to account for a fraction of a second between a shot being fired and the server registering the action. This would be frustrating for players as this was the difference between landing a juicy headshot and missing it entirely.

In CS2, Valve will be "moving beyond the tick rate," saying that what players see is what they'll get in-game. With the new Source 2 engine, CS2 will be smoother and less janky, with guaranteed precision in the player's movements. Every gameplay action will be equally responsive without players having to fire shots and pray for miracles.

Graphics Overhaul

We all know that CS:GO wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing game, but it had a classical charm. With the Source 2 engine, CS2 will have tons of new visual improvements, with realistic materials, lighting, reflections, and shadows, for an improved gameplay experience. Several beloved maps have received slight graphical reworks in the limited test, like Nuke, Overpass, Mirage, and more.

Final Thoughts

Remember that you will only get a CS2 invite to participate if your Steam account is in good standing with a high trust factor. You can improve your trust factor by being a good team player, not being toxic, and even asking players or friends to commend you.

As more updates are released, more players and more people will steadily be added to the Limited Test Beta roster, so keep checking your account. You never know; you might get lucky!

Want more CS:GO news? Check out our guides to the best crosshair settings and the ranking system. When CS2 launches, you can rest assured that your prime status will carry over to the new game!