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Has Valve killed the hype of its newest game?

For the past two decades, Counter-Strike, and all its different iterations (CS 1.6, CS:Source, CS:GO), has been the premier first-person shooter (FPS) game for both casual and hardcore Esports fans and players alike. Valve, the company who owns the Counter-Strike IP, seemingly had a monopoly over the scene for the better part of 20 years. But in June of 2020, Riot Games released Valorant, a game which seemed to combine the gunplay of Counter Strike and the ability gameplay of Overwatch. But at Valorant’s core, it was a competitive first-person shooter just like Counter Strike. 

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And just like that, Counter-Strike had its first true competitor. Valorant created such a buzz, that it had both casuals and professionals from the CS:GO scene eager to try the new game. Particularly in the pro scene, the majority of teams were composed of former CS:GO players who were looking to build a legacy in a brand-new game. And since then, it had seemed like Valve would be willing to just allow both games to co-exist without making any major changes to the Counter-Strike franchise. But much to the gaming community’s surprise, Valve officially announced back in March that Counter-Strike 2 will be released during the summer of this year (summer in the US, that is). However, I can’t help but feel that Valve slightly mishandled the timetable of the release of CS 2.

But yes gamers, you read that right. After a decade or so of CS:GO, we will finally be getting a new Counter Strike game this year. The hype during the initial announcement was massive. Accompanied by this announcement was a brief showcase of the main changes coming to CS 2 and the release of the limited test. These new features included better graphics, improved audio quality, brand new grenade dynamics, overhauled maps and more. For the full list and in-depth descriptions of these features, you can visit counter-strike.net/cs2. 

However, the limited test was offered only to a small fraction of CS:GO players. I’m not quite sure what Valve’s selection process was, but all your favorite streamers and content creators seemed to be able to get their hands on the limited version of CS 2. Even though a lot of us couldn’t get their hands on the beta, we can’t deny the excitement and the hype generated by watching your favorite streamers and pro players play the game for the very first time. 

The hype was so intense that I feel like it even contributed to inflated prices of skins in the game. A lot of players who had put down CS:GO, including myself, came flocking back at a chance to receive access to the limited test. Even your favorite Valorant streamers and content creators were trying their hand at CS:GO. All this can be attributed to the announcement of Counter Strike’s upcoming installment. There was no denying it – Counter Strike 2 had the gaming world’s attention. 

Fast forward to today. We are already in the 2nd month of summer in the US (although for us here in the Philippines, it feels like it’s perpetually summer), and yet there’s still no concrete release date for the full game. Valve has been releasing updates on the limited test here and there, but have remained silent regarding the full release. And this goes back to the point I made earlier – I feel like Valve may have mishandled the timetable of CS 2 as a whole. I say this only because from my personal view, the hype has died down significantly. 

Valve could have timed the announcement and beta release better. The waiting period so far has been a little over a quarter of a year. This may seem short, but the difficulty lies within retaining the excitement of gamers whose attention can easily be swayed by other titles on the market. Let it be clear that I am not speaking from the point of view of a consumer waiting impatiently for the arrival of a new game, but more from a business and marketing standpoint of sustaining the hype before a game’s full release. Below is my personal take on how Valve should’ve handled the release process for the game:

1. CS 2 initial announcement
2. CS 2 limited testing announcement
3. CS 2 limited testing release
4. Announcement on updates, initial bug fixes, new additional features etc.
5. CS 2 beta public access announcement 
6. CS 2 beta release to the public
7. Full game release announcement
8. Full game release 

I know at first glance these may seem like simple steps; easier said than done. But I feel like having these steps stretched out over a 3–4-month period would’ve helped Valve sustain the public’s hype and excitement for CS 2 until the game’s full release. In my opinion, this is vital especially if Valve intends to attract new players to the Counter-Strike franchise. That way, both new and returning players would be given the opportunity to appreciate the new game, while simultaneously giving Valve a platform to acquire much needed community feedback. Instead, Valve continues to limit the testing and remain silent regarding CS 2’s full release, while most of us are left to live vicariously through our favorite streamers and content creators who do have access to the beta…that is if these guys are still playing it.