CS 2
Valve missed the anniversary of Counter-Strike 2's launch, which caused it to be indignant. However, on October 3, the game's biggest patch in months, at least in terms of the number of changes, was released.
The developers still remember the game, but there's no denying that recent updates have been relatively modest, sometimes with isolated map or interface fixes. The Blix team will tell you about everything new that the new patch has brought to CS2 and give you valuable tips.
Highlights
- CS2 Update Overview from October 3
- Review of new charms and skins
- Details of changes and bug fixes made
We've waited for the big update. Now we are waiting for the new Major: When Is The Next CS2 Major? We cover the esports industry regularly, too: The 8 Biggest Esports Sponsors of All Time.
Armory Pass: Operation or Event
A no-nonsense debate has raged over the release of the Armory Pass. Proponents of the Armory Pass being an operation appeal more to the scale of the new content and the availability of the pass, while opponents argue for the lack of original weekly quests, community maps, and a commemorative medal. We'll settle for the viewpoint that it's just an event rather than an operation.
The Armory Pass costs $17 and includes 40 levels with rewards in the form of special credits(stars) that can be used to purchase goods. The daily limit is five stars per day, which can be obtained in 4-5 hours of play.
Interestingly, a player can have up to five active passes simultaneously and level them up concurrently. There may be an opportunity to convert the investment into a pass by selling skins later. But who knows? You can get player reactions from the Reddit discussion.
Desert Eagle Heat Treated
Purple Pattern
The grand prize of the battle pass is a limited edition Desert Eagle Heat Treated, available for 25 stars. Valve fully activates the FOMO machine, stating that this skin will only be available for 100 days.
Visually, Heat Rated strongly resembles Case Hardened, with collectors already on the hunt for the most incredible patterns with the highest concentration of blue. It has already been revealed that this Desert Eagle has 37 Blue Gem patterns, with blue covering 80% or more.
Weapon Charms in CS2
Small Arms Charms
One of the main features of the update—and one that is also affecting the Steam item market—is charms on weapons. These are very similar to keychains in Valorant, but they have been present since its release in 2020.
Speaking of Valorant, a handy article was recently published on this game, too, Valorant Chat Commands Every Player Should Know.
Now, there are two collections of charms available in the game, which can be hung not only on firearms but also, for example, on the C4 bomb. By the way, once you've attached the charm, you can't just take it off. To remove a charm and return it to your inventory, you must purchase a Charm Detachment Pack. One set contains three charm removers.
On the xplay.gg servers, you can already play with the new charms absolutely free without buying Armory Pass and the charms themselves.
Charm on the C4
The new items are not yet priced, but the update will significantly affect the economy of the Steam Marketplace. At first, the items will be costly for resale, but their cost will drop as players become "habitual" to the presence of new cosmetics.
Missing Link Charms
The developers have confirmed the availability of items with rare patterns, and the same discussion has also arisen on Reddit. The charms have different colors than those stated in the collection.
New Stickers
New Stickers
Along with the update came new stickers. The Character Craft Stickers capsule contains stickers with different face designs, while the Elemental Craft Stickers capsule contains basic stickers with various effects.
Another significant addition is the update to the preview tool in CS2. Now, you can look at a sticker and try it on without buying it.
New Case
A new Gallery Case now awaits in the game. Seventeen skins, each of which belongs to a different style in visual art, are waiting for their owner.
Six skins for pistols, four for submachine guns, four for rifles, and three for sniper rifles fall out of the new CS2 case. In addition, the new Gallery Case features skins for the Kukri knife in CS2. We have a helpful article, Best Sites For Case Open in CS2. You can check it out.
New Collections of Skins: Graphic, Overpass 2024, and Sport & Field
The Overpass 2024 Collection contains bright, detailed skins with creative and quirky designs. Its central theme revolves around cartoon and graffiti styles.
On the same xplay.gg servers, new skins have already been added to the Skinchanger tab.
The Graphics Collection focuses on different styles and techniques in print media. The creators drew inspiration from pop art, neon hues, and abstract patterns. AWP CMYK (CMYK is the printer's color gamut) stands out from all the other skins.
AWP | CMYK
The Sport and Field Collection presents competitive energy, bright colors, boldness, and aggression.
Bug Fixes
The new map is Italy
Firstly, the animation of character models has been improved, so now they move more naturally. Secondly, changes were made to the network code, so the game should work smoother even with a far-from-perfect internet connection.
However, the developers also attempted to fix Michael Jackson Peek. In the update, the animation of leg movement during a stretch was fixed. Now, the lower limbs of the agents do not "spread" a meter and a half away from each other.
Fixed animation of leg movement
Among other changes, we should also mention the most critical bug fix: the sound of water on any map when it's splashing could accidentally play for the opponents even at a slow step. Insiders also managed to see the mention of a certain "HLX" in the game's text files: they claim that it is about the long-awaited new Half-Life part.
Also, an issue where step sounds would play for a local player but not broadcast to other players and vice versa has been fixed.
Fixed bugs with shadows and textures on maps and added the Italy map to the Competitive Mode.
New Update - New Bugs
Yes, it's true. Along with the update, a bug appeared in the shooter, interfering with the gameplay. When firing shots next to the character model, a large inscription, "ERROR," began to emerge.
After a while, Valve fixed the bug, and now, players do not face this problem. Many users jokingly noted that a similar bug could be found in the game Garry's Mod and suggested that the developers "just download the right textures". There's a discussion about this problem on Reddit, and we'll leave the video below.
In addition, TSM professional player Frederick acoR Guldstrand reported a crosshair issue on his AWP sniper rifle. He fixed the error using the console command "cl_crosshair_sniper_width 1."
In the first 24 hours, the CS2 community was disappointed: expectations from the update in honor of the game's first "birthday" were not justified.
Attentive users measured performance and concluded that FPS dropped by 15% on average after the update. The error is not new and is inherent in every major update, so optimization should be expected in the coming days.
Community Reaction
The gaming community was somewhat disappointed with the update that Valve presented. Users were eager for an operation that had never been introduced since the release of the second part of the franchise.
The less demanding part of the community expected at least a change in the map pool, as talk of Train's return has been going on for months. Commentator Alex Mauisnake Ellenberg joked about the update released by Valve:
Players' opinions about Valve's innovations diverge from heated discussions. You can read more about it on Reddit.
