Although Counter-Strike 2 was only available for a handful of people initially, particularly during the Limited Test, things changed once the test ended. The game was officially released in September 2023, allowing anyone to obtain the game for free. As such, people who previously played CS: GO can update their game and play CS2 instead. Still, those who have never played the game also have easy access to it. All they have to do is download it from the Steam page and play it.
What’s great is that people who invested a lot into CS:GO, particularly individuals who collected various skins for the game, could effortlessly transfer their cosmetics from the old game to the new one. So, you will not lose your progress or any items you’ve worked so hard to get your hands on.
The new CS2 game also made the computing power necessary for running it a bit larger, meaning you might need a newer PC if you want to run CS2 without problems. An old PC might struggle with the game, leading to performance issues.
Gaining access to CS2 is easy. All you need to do is ensure you have a decent PC and an Internet connection. Then, you should follow these steps:
1. Create a Steam account if you don’t already have one.
2. Download and install Steam on your PC.
3. Log into your account, then look for the CS2 game on Steam and download it to your computer. It’s free.
4. Install the game on your computer and start playing.
Before the CS2 closed beta came out, people hoped to get an invite to the limited test. Valve Corporation announced the test invites, and people were obsessively checking their social media accounts to see more details. Back then, people who played CS:GO had to launch the game and check for a notification. Then, they had to click on “ENROL” to take part in the test, which allowed them to download the beta version. Next time players launched CS: GO, they only needed to choose Limited Test.
Nowadays, people can already play CS2 for free. You can invite your friends to play with you through the in-game interface and then play matches together.
Even if Steam only lets you download CS2, you can still switch to CS:GO. To do this in 2024, you have to follow this process:
1. Go to Steam.
2. Access your “Library”.
3. Right-click on “CS2”, then open the settings menu.
4. Choose “Betas”.
5. Select “Legacy Version of CS:GO” from the top right corner where it says “None.”
6. Your game will download.
Not all players gained access to CS2 and its limited test when it was released. In some cases, the reason was that the players didn’t get Prime status or because they had a blocked Steam account. Still, there are more reasons behind this. For example, if you cannot access CS2 in 2024, you might be dealing with corrupted or missing files. To solve this, follow these steps:
1. In your Steam client, right-click on CS2.
2. Go to Properties.
3. Choose Installed Files.
4. Select “Verify integrity of game files.”
You may also want to try running the game as administrator or updating your graphics card if the method above doesn’t work.
Gaining access to CS2 in 2024 is easy. Just go to Steam, and you’ll be able to download it without issues. If you previously played CS: GO, you can also transfer your old skins to the new game.
![Best Cases to Open in CS2 in [year]](/imgs/news_8150/20250304/cache/1741088441_3b891fce289b067982c6___308_174.jpg "Best Cases to Open in CS2 in [year]")