Valve could announce and release Counter-Strike 2 by April

Lewis adds that this "new" Counter-Strike project will take cues from the popularity of FACEIT and ESEA. The updated game is said to feature a new matchmaking system resembling what other third-party platforms can offer. In addition, Valve is matching the tick rate of the VALORANT servers, going from 64 to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at the moment to 128 to help reduce latency in online matches.

Valve has tried several ways to market its games in the past. In this case, Valve is going with the "no fanfare" route. Outside of Lewis' report, we haven't heard anything about a new Counter-Strike title at all.

However, some believe that the new files spotted by a Redditor, u/DAOWACE, is related to this development.

While seeing Counter-Strike 2 come out is awesome, it wouldn't surprise us if Valve is migrating CS:GO from to Source 2.

Ultimately, the rumored move by Valve makes a ton of sense. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has shown signs of aging for years and the release of VALORANT highlighted its issues. Despite the game's enduring popularity, updating CS:GO will do wonders for its longevity for, at the very least, the next decade. The move to Source 2 is just the first step of many that will allow Valve to make CS:GO look more modern and on par with VALORANT.

If the reports are true, we expect to hear more from Valve in the next few weeks.

Speaking of Valve, the CS:GO leaks come shortly after it clamped down on DOTA 2 cheaters.