Counter-Strike 2 is a complimentary upgrade to its predecessor, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The company generates revenue through the sale of in-game accessories, a model that has proven successful.

Upon its release, the new game rapidly garnered an impressive 501,000 concurrent players, as reported by Steamcharts, an analytics site tracking Steam game data.

Over a decade has passed since the debut of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and in that time, the game has experienced explosive growth, maintaining an average of nearly a million live players at any given moment. In May, the game hit a peak with 1.8 million players logged on. Its popular esports tournaments, watched by millions, offer substantial prize pools exceeding $1 million.

Valve, a privately held company based in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, also operates the renowned video-game marketplace, Steam. The company had hinted at the new title since March, although the release date was not specified. In a March announcement, Valve stated that Counter-Strike 2 represents the most significant technical advancement in Counter-Strike's history, promising a host of new features and updates for years to come.