There is now an intriguing new rumor that CSGO could itself get upgraded to Source 2.
Earlier today, we reported on rumors that there is a Counter-Strike 2 coming, which will be built on Source 2. That could be related to this video, but it is also possible that Valve is working on CSGO for Source 2 alongside Counter-Strike 2. For now, we are considering these as separate rumors referring to different games.
As shared by gabefollower on Twitter, the rumor has come up thanks to the code in the latest update for another Valve game, namely, DOTA2.
DOTA2 runs on Source 2, Valve’s latest game engine optimized for the newest computers. The code to DOTA2’s latest update has CSGO written all over it, in different parts of the code.
A version of CSGO that runs on Source 2 could be indicative of many things. For example, it’s possible that the entire game is being overhauled for all players, forcing everyone to update.
It is also a possibility that Valve allows a legacy version of CSGO based on Source to stay alive, alongside a newer version of the game. While it’s true that CSGO itself was intended to replace the original Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike version 1.6 is in fact still live on the Steam Store and still seems some players.
The main reason to keep two versions of CSGO around is a larger number of the player base can’t run a possible Source 2 version. However, it is also possible that Valve does not have a way to transfer over the immense library of microtransactions that players have already amassed in CSGO over from the original version to a newer Source 2 version, or for that matter, to a newer Counter-Strike game.
Another possibility for making a CSGO on Source 2 would relate to the Steam Deck. CSGO is playable as is on Valve’s own hardware. However, an updated port could come with improvements to the way it is played on the device.
CSGO as is is still best played with a mouse and keyboard. While Steam Deck users can find ways to make the game work, a new version could see improvements. These could include prebuilt controller setups, improved UI and navigation for on the go matchmaking without a keyboard, etc.
It must be said, this could all be a coincidence, with the small keyword “csgo” referring to something else in the DOTA2 files. With all the rumors going around, however, it seems highly likely that Valve is planning to announce something related to Counter-Strike in the near future.
