How to See if You Have Access to the Counter Strike 2 Beta

Chroniclega

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posted on 1 year ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Counter Strike 2 is almost upon us (release date still pending), but before the world dives into the next installment, we need to help Valve test it with a beta period. Not everyone will get into the beta, but Valve has said they’re admitting as many players as they can.[1]
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To check your beta invite status, simply boot up CS:GO and look for the invite popup. We’ll tell you more about how to nab your invite, including how to up your chances, as well as the shiny new features waiting for us in CS2.

Counter-Strike 2 has now released

Install and boot up Counter Strike: Global Offensive in Steam.
Enter the game’s main menu. If you got a beta invite, you’ll receive a popup or a notification with the prompt “Enroll.”
Up your chances of receiving an invite by playing competitive CS:GO matches, having a Steam account in good standing, and purchasing Prime Status.

Checking for Beta Invites

Install and run Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Beta invitations appear in-game in CS:GO, so before you do anything, head to Steam and download the game. Note that there are a few prerequisites for getting an invite, like having playtime in CS:GO, so if you’ve never played a Counter Strike game, you're less likely to get in.

Check your in-game notifications in the CS:GO main menu. Boot up CS:GO and load into the main menu. If you got into the CS2 beta test, you’ll see a popup telling you so (or else a notification in your left-hand main menu bar with a message about the beta). Just click “Enroll” on the popup, and you’re good to go! You may need to restart CS:GO to play the beta. When you do, you’ll be given the option of booting CS:GO or the CS2 Limited Test. Pick the latter. Alternatively, open Steam and navigate to Help > Steam Support > Counter Strike: Global Offensive. If you have access to the beta, the menu will say, "Added to Steam Library as part of Counter-Strike 2: Limited Test Invite."

Verify your game files if you don’t see the invite. The most recent wave of invites was sent out to “as many eligible players as possible,” so if you still don’t have one, verify your game files to refresh the game. Navigate to your Steam library, right click on CS:GO, then select Properties > Local Files and click “Verify integrity of game files…” Then, restart Steam and boot up CS:GO to check for the invite again. If you still don’t have the invite, your invite may still be in the proverbial mail. Check back again the next day to see if you got in!

Increasing Your Chances of an Invite

Have a Steam account in good standing. “Good standing” means that you’re cleared by the Valve Anti-Cheat System (VAC) and not flagged as a suspicious user (or one that uses cheats in multiplayer games). Check your standing by selecting Steam > Settings > Account. Your VAC standing is the last option on the menu; click “Learn more” to see info on your status. Valve also may factor in your “Trust” factor, which is a nebulous and vague insider indicator of your Steam account usage. As long as you aren’t hacking Steam, cheating, or harassing other players, your Trust status should be fine.

Purchase CS:GO Prime Status. Prime Status is a premium membership for CS:GO that matches you with other Prime players and offers limited-time rewards for playing matches. Valve is prioritizing Prime Status players in their CS2 beta rollout, so if you’d like to up your chances of getting that invite, navigate to the CS:GO store page in Steam and purchase the Prime Status addon, which is $14.99 USD. Your Prime Status will transfer over to CS2 upon release.

Play some competitive matches to accrue playtime. Valve is giving players with playtime on Valve official servers beta priority. If you’ve got a minute, boot up CS:GO and put in a few competitive matches. Click the “Play” button on the left-hand menu, then go to the “Competitive” tab and click “Go” to join the matchmaking queue. Play 10 matches to get ranked and qualify for the beta. Also, be sure you're playing in a region where the Limited Test is active—currently, this appears to be everywhere but Oceania. Note that Valve clarified that your playtime during a test period doesn’t contribute to your chances; only playtime before the period. So don’t sweat this one too much if you’re checking for an invite during a Limited Test period.

New Features in CS2

Volumetric smoke grenades In Counter Strike games, smoke grenades are an essential tactical tool used to provide cover and disorient your enemy. In CS2, smoke grenades now emit 3D volumetric smoke that interacts with the environment and appears more consistently for all players. You can also create holes in smoke plumes by shooting through them or throwing grenades into them. These changes make smoke grenades more balanced and open up new tactical opportunities. Close off small tunnels or narrow passages with a volumetric plume to hold off your enemy.

Enhanced tick rate system Online multiplayer games rely on “tick rates,” or a system by which the game compares your individual game state to other players’, making sure everyone is seeing the same thing at the same time. In CS2, Valve is introducing “sub-ticks,” by which the server can calculate your precise actions even between ticks, which, in theory, will make the game feel much more responsive.

Graphics overhaul CS:GO’s visuals, while they get the job done, are getting pretty dated. Thankfully, in CS2, Valve is giving your favorite maps some visual upgrades, while striving to keep the actual gameplay experience largely the same. They’re using a tiered upgrade system in which the most beloved maps, like Dust II, are getting a lighter touch, while less popular maps are getting more thorough quality of life updates to bring them up to standard.