Can VAC-banned CS:GO players play Counter-Strike 2?

With the release of Counter-Strike 2 confirmed, many questions have been raised about the hotly anticipated successor to one of the most popular FPS games in the world.

One of the more pressing queries is whether bans applied on accounts in CS:GO will carry over to the new game.

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Counter-Strike 2 to remain inaccessible to banned accounts

Steam Support has published a set of FAQs about Counter-Strike 2, clearly establishing that the title, at least on VAC-secured servers, will remain inaccessible to accounts with VAC or game bans.

Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled to be released sometime in the summer, with a limited test already live. This test will be open to players handpicked by the developers. They will be picked largely on the basis of their Steam account's standing, playtime, and a certain trust factor. Players other than those picked for the test cannot play the new game at the time of writing.

New players will be selected for the "Limited Test" over time, so those interested in it should keep checking their in-game notifications.

The upcoming game contains several upgrades, which Valve claims to be revolutionary to the user experience, most notably, the new sub-tick update system.

Essentially, the title developers have created a new way for players and the game's backend to interact. This has been done to eliminate the gap between when users click a button and the game processes that click. The game updates itself instantaneously instead of cyclically.

The developers simply described this change as follows:

"Now what you see is what you get."

The developers have also tried to strike a balance between preserving the iconic maps that players have mastered and grown to love for over a decade and giving them a visual upgrade. These changes will be of three kinds:

• Touchstone Maps: Classic maps, which are largely left untouched, to help players evaluate gameplay changes between CSGO and Counter-Strike 2.
• Upgrades: Maps altered with new Source 2 lighting to make the whole map appear more authentic
• Overhauls: New technology, like Source 2, has been used to completely redesign the look of some older maps.

The developers have hinted that there are many more features in the pipeline. Players should expect a gradual release as they edge closer to the prospective launch of the new Counter-Strike title.