When a popular game franchise announces a new game, a beta version is usually released to the public right after. During this time, a select number of lucky players get to test out the game and provide feedback to the developers regarding what’s good, what’s bad, and everything else in-between.
This is exactly what’s happened with CS2. After CS2 was announced in March 2023, the CS2 beta limited test began on March 22. As of right now, the beta has no end date and will be seemingly open right until CS2 officially drops in the summer.
However, only a limited number of lucky players have been given access to play the beta. Although a specific number hasn’t been calculated, analysts predict that somewhere between 1% and 3% of CS: GO players have been given access to the Counter-Strike 2 beta — which is a pretty small portion of the fanbase.
How Did Players Get Invited to Play the CS2 Beta?
So, how did these players get access to the CS2 beta limited test? Simple. Valve chose them at random!
When this lucky bunch opened up CS: GO on their PCs and laptops, they received notifications via the main menu asking them to “Enroll” and download CS2 to test it out. Naturally, the majority of players who received the invites went ahead and accepted the invitations. From there, they successfully downloaded the Counter-Strike 2 beta and have been playing it ever since.
Since then, many Counter-Strike 2 beta testers have gone on Twitter and Reddit to report that CS2 is looking pretty awesome. The only downside is (because only a small number of people received beta invites) the beta testers can’t play with their friends, so the servers are almost empty. This is to be expected, though, as it’s a limited beta test — not an open beta.
Thousands of CS: GO players have been demanding that Valve make the Counter-Strike 2 beta open (just check the mentions of @valvesoftware and @CounterStrike on Twitter). However, Valve hasn’t caved to the demand of fans and has instead opted to keep the CS2 beta limited.
6 Tips to Get CS2 Beta Access
If you’re desperate to access the Counter-Strike 2 beta and get a taste of what the game has in store for you, there’s no need to panic or give up yet. The good news is that it’s still possible to access the Counter-Strike 2 beta before the official summer launch of CS2 in 2023. Here are some tips that’ll help you to do it.
Download CS: GO
It’s impossible to gain access to the CS2 beta without having CS: GO downloaded — that’s a fact.
So, if you haven’t downloaded CS: GO or even played the game before, head over to Steam and get it downloaded. This won’t take long to do. Also, don’t forget that CS: GO is free-to-play, so you won’t have to pay a dime for the download.
Check Your Trust Factor — It Has to Be Over 60 Percent
Your Steam account Standing is very important and you can check your trust factor by visiting https://faceitfinder.com.
If your trust factor is over 60 percent, then it’s still possible for you to get a limited test beta invite.
Increase Your Playtime on Valve Servers
Counter-Strike 2 beta invitations are sent out largely based on how much time you’ve played CS: GO. In a nutshell, the more playtime you’ve racked up, the more likely you are to receive an invite.
This is why it’s a smart idea to increase your playtime on Valve’s official servers. Even just playing CS: GO for one hour a day over the coming weeks might help you. Also, note that staying in the lobby doesn’t count toward this. You need to be actively playing.
Make Your Profile Public
Making your CS: GO profile public is another way to swing things in your favor. Making your profile public will make your inventory, friends, and other content visible to other people, so make sure to bear this in mind.
Don’t Cheat
If you have a history of cheating on your CS: GO account (and have even been banned in the past), your chances of getting a Counter-Strike 2 beta invitation are effectively zero. If you were planning on cheating anytime soon (e.g., by using aimbots), don’t do it! Instead, play clean and safe. This way, you’re more likely to get a beta invite as a reward for your good behavior!
Contact Valve Directly
No luck yet? The last tip you can try is to contact Valve directly. The best way to do this is via Twitter DMs (@valvesoftware or @CounterStrike) so that you can ask them politely if they’ll send an invitation to your CS: GO account.
In your message, make sure to put a strong case forward regarding why you’re passionate about CS2 and should be invited to test out the beta. For example, if you’ve been playing CS: GO since 2012 and have built up 3,000+ hours of playtime, let them know! The developer who sees your message might just make it your lucky day.
When is the Next CS2 Beta Access Wave?
Sometimes, when there’s a limited beta available, the developer company will send out invitations in waves. For example, they’ll leave a 1-month gap between each invitation wave. This is something that many fans speculate Valve is doing. After all, CS2 still isn’t due to be released for at least another month, so there’s more than enough time for them to send out invitations before then — especially if they want to fix any last-minute bugs.
If another beta access wave is going to happen, we think it’ll be in early June. This is why you should log into your CS: GO account. Hopefully, after following all of the tips above, you should find the golden invite in your notifications. Fingers crossed! And if you do get into the beta make sure to check out our post about the best CS2 settings.
Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you fail to get access to the Counter-Strike 2 beta. In a matter of months, the official version of CS2 will be released all across the internet, so it’s really not that far away. For now, though, you should definitely keep checking your account every day in case Valve has felt extra generous and sent you that all-important beta invitation. Good luck!
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