CSGO Twitch viewers be warned – the longstanding online shooter is no longer listed among the streaming site’s games library. Following a tease from Valve, it seems like the Counter-Strike 2 launch will be imminently upon us. Adding a little more evidence to that theory, Counter-Strike Global Offensive has disappeared from Twitch, to be replaced by an entirely new category. It’s a bit spooky. It certainly feels like something big is coming. What is going on with CSGO, CS2, and the entire Counter-Strike lineup?
Let’s roll back. Counter-Strike 2 was originally meant to launch in ‘summer 2023’ according to Valve. As of a week ago – Wednesday, September 20 to be precise – the Counter-Strike 2 release date seemed all but set in stone, as Valve shared a cryptic-but-not-so-cryptic post asking players “What are you doing next Wednesday?” That seemingly signaled that Counter-Strike 2 and with it a new generation of multiplayer FPS game would arrive on Wednesday, September 27. Either that, or suddenly everybody would be given access to what is still being called the CS2 beta, or CS2 limited test.
That seemingly signaled that Counter-Strike 2 and with it a new generation of multiplayer FPS game would arrive on Wednesday, September 27. Either that, or suddenly everybody would be given access to what is still being called the CS2 beta, or CS2 limited test.
Now, something slightly mystical is happening. Twitch has removed CSGO from its library of games, and replaced it with something new. When searching for CSGO on Twitch, you no longer get the option to watch CSGO specifically. Instead, you have the Counter-Strike 2 limited test, Counter-Strike 1.6, and a new, generically named ‘Counter-Strike.’
“Counter-Strike has been the pioneering tactical shooter since the franchise debuted in November 2000,” the description on Twitch’s new Counter-Strike category reads. “This legacy continues with Counter-Strike Global Offensive and the upcoming release of CS2.” The streaming platform also shares a short clip on X, formerly Twitter, which shows the Counter-Strike Global Offensive logo being painted over by the new logo for CS2.
“To celebrate the next decade of Counter-Strike, we’ve updated the name of the category,” Twitch says. “CSGO and the CS2 limited test can both be streamed to the new category, alongside the ESL Pro League Season 18 playoffs.”
So, perhaps this part of the preparation, and when the time comes, and CSGO and the CS2 limited test become simply Counter-Strike 2, this new category is where we’ll go to watch. We’ll just have to wait (though not long) and see.
In the meantime, it might be a good idea to see all the Counter-Strike 2 maps that have been rebuilt and reimagined in the Source 2 engine. Also, you’ll need to know how Counter-Strike 2 skins work now, and the rules about transferring your inventory over to CS2.