Hints at ‘end’ of CS:GO esports have players in a frenzy over CS2 release

CS:GO‘s IEM Cologne 2023 concluded on Aug. 6, and while the day was all about G2 Esports’ thrilling 3-1 win against ENCE, it also gave players major hope about an impending Counter-Strike 2 release. 

On Aug. 6, a Reddit user named anestling shared a tweet from CS2’s official Twitter account, indicating that IEM Cologne is the last big CS:GO tournament. Besides triggering nostalgia for the long-running CS:GO esports scene among players, interestingly, it has also given rise to anticipation for CS2’s global release. The tweet was later deleted, but don’t worry—there are other clues players are holding on to.

Right after G2 lifted the ravishing trophy, ESL Counter-Strike sent out a celebration tweet. While the tweet was meant to announce the winners, it also interestingly declared G2 as the “LAST CS:GO #IEM COLOGNE CHAMPIONS.”

So, this year’s iteration of the prestigious IEM Cologne circuit confirms what we already believed: IEM Cologne 2023 is the last time it will be played on CS:GO before the big move to CS2, according to ESL. 

Related: HooXi proves the doubters wrong as G2 CS:GO win IEM Cologne

In the grand finals of yesterday’s IEM Cologne 2023, dubbed the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” thousands of fans at the Lanxess Arena observed a minute of silence, paying tribute to the golden moments CS:GO esports hosted since 2012. But, besides being sentimental, players are treating the idea of the “last CS:GO IEM Cologne” as indicative of CS2’s imminent release.

To top it off, another suggestive video skit from ESL featuring FaZe Clan’s Robin “ropz” Kool fueled the anticipation for CS2’s release even further.

In a hilarious “confessional” video, while reasoning out some of CS2 beta’s major issues brought forward by the Father, ropz hinted that the game’s movement flaws will be “fixed with a patch on the 10th.” While a patch doesn’t indicate a full-fledged release, many players have now begun believing that CS2 will drop on Aug. 10. 

ESL’s skit was likely meant to be light-hearted. One can also expect a patch to drop in the next few days, targeting the movement mechanics in CS2 and possibly adding exciting features. Some players are anticipating a possible open beta release on the 10th, allowing everyone to participate in testing the game before the global release.  

Anticipating a full release of the game on Aug. 10 based on the recent hints may be far-fetched at the moment. 

Related: Counter-Strike 2 releasing in Summer 2023: Everything we know so far

It’s been months since Counter-Strike 2 beta was first announced and launched back in March 2023, and many players haven’t received access to the test phase yet. The hype is natural—players rightfully demand a definitive release date rather than just ‘Summer 2023.’