Valve opens up CS2 limited test to new wave of players in latest update

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A June 9 Counter-Strike update featured, among an assortment of bug fixes and a change to item drops, a surprise second wave of access keys for Counter-Strike 2's limited beta.

Players were eagerly anticipating another round of beta invites for CS2, and with Valve's major update to the new game just a week prior, it was only a matter of time before CS fans would get a shot at trying out CS2.

Up until selected artists were invited to the beta on June 6 to test the brand-new Workshop Tools, no new players had been added to the test branch. Many players who were lucky enough to receive an initial invite way back in March 2023 had grown tired of playing the test, which went without a major update for the better part of two months.

Related: Former CS:GO pro slams ‘sad’ CS2, calls core gameplay mechanic ‘at best awful’

Release Notes for today are up! CS:GO and Counter-Strike 2 are receiving updates and another wave of Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test invites are going out. https://t.co/ZDm2U6lXeW

But following June 6's refresh, which included the introduction of a loadout system—the first of its kind in the franchise—and the ability to rebuy during the buy phase, as well as the addition of Mirage, CS2's test will no doubt be flooded with players.

The June 9 update sees an assortment of bug fixes on Mirage following its official port and release in CS2, as well as a major fix related to a player disconnect issue where the bomb would disappear from the game entirely.

Related: All patches and hotfixes in CS2 test beta

CS:GO was also treated to a change regarding item drops. Previously, case drops and graffiti were given to players based on time played, which led to users idling on community servers and gaining cases without actually playing the game. Now, players will need to earn XP to get their weekly case, with the item dropping once leveling up the account.

Aussie Editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career as a commentator, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly CS:GO and Dota. Email: [email protected]