Long-awaited CSGO upgrade to Source 2 engine reportedly canceled

It doesn’t appear as though Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be transitioning to Valve’s Source 2 engine anytime soon, as the developers have reportedly stopped working on the major engine update.

CS:GO first released in 2012 and has since remained on the original Source engine, an engine that was designed eight years prior in 2004. Dedicated players have speculated for years as to when the iconic FPS may be overhauled with an update to the more contemporary Source 2.

Rumors have been swirling throughout the first half of 2020 with insiders claiming that such an update could be right around the corner. Valve News Network owner Tyler McVicker even pinpointed May 18 as an exact date for the CSGO overhaul. However, recent developments have forced McVicker to go back on these claims.

With a reputable history of accurate leaks and insider tidbits, the Valve fanatic has since explained how the Source 2 update “is not happening.”

“There was a meeting and they made a decision,” he said. The reason behind the project’s cancellation is simply that it was “too much work,” according to McVicker. “As of now, it’s not happening. They’re not going to do it.”

The massive engine update – similar to Fortnite’s in February 2020 – would have allowed for improved visuals and gameplay mechanics. Leaked lines of code in a Dota 2 update even pointed towards Source 2’s improved rendering, shadows, and skyboxes.

While these changes could have helped upgrade the shooter, there was one key factor that prevented the transition. “They have a build…they’ve had a build for like two years,” he explained. “It’s not that they can’t port the game…they can’t port the community content.”

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From custom game modes to brand new maps and plenty more, community-made content has long been an integral part of the CS:GO experience. Though this ever-expanding library of player creations is supposedly what’s holding the game back from the Source 2 engine.

“They have no means of allowing the massive backlog of community created CS:GO content to be easily played and ported. If they ever figure that out, then it will happen. But as of now…not happening.”

While this issue may have halted development for the time being, perhaps the game may still make its way to the Source 2 engine down the road. That is, if the issue of community content can be addressed.