Austin details Valve HQ visit: 30+ devs work on CS2
Austin "Austin" Meadows detailed his recent visit to "Valve" HQ, revealing that a team of more than 30 developers is actively working on Counter-Strike 2. During a three-hour conversation, the CS2 team discussed their approach to weapon balancing, anti-cheat measures, and future game updates.
The developers explained that adjusting weapon stats is a complex process. They cannot easily predict how changing one weapon might impact the overall meta, making it difficult to simply buff or nerf specific guns. Austin also noted that the developers are passionate about the game, playing it more frequently than most of the player base.
Regarding anti-cheat, Valve acknowledged the community's concerns but stated they are on the right track in combating cheaters. The team also expressed a desire for players to explore maps beyond Dust2 and Mirage, with one potential removal of a public map in the next season. They clarified that visual differences between CS:GO and CS2 are intrinsic to the engine transition.
On other features, Valve confirmed that operations are not currently planned but remain a possibility. They also dismissed the idea of making surfing an official game mode, noting that the community hosts those maps better than they could internally. Austin concluded that the developers are clearly working hard to keep the game alive and address its current issues.