Counter-Strike 2 officially confirmed by Valve in a series of developer diaries

Valve suddenly dropped a number of developer diaries sharing behind the scenes details on Counter-Strike 2, as well as a summer 2023 release window.

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A sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been one the worst kept secrets in gaming this last month, but now Valve has finally confirmed it. Counter-Strike 2 is officially a real thing and it’s coming this year. Strangely enough, Valve chose to officially announce the game not with a reveal trailer, but with a series of developer diaries showing behind-the-scenes details on how CS2 is being improved over CSGO. It was also confirmed that CS2 will launch as a free upgrade to CSGO.

Valve dropped these Counter-Strike 2 videos on its YouTube channel alongside an official Twitter announcement on March 22, 2023. While the sudden volley of videos might be confusing at first, the team went on to share more concrete details as well. Counter-Strike 2 will launch in summer 2023. What’s more, it will be a free upgrade to CSGO. Limited tests of early builds of the game are expected to run in the months ahead.

Counter-Strike 2 had been all-but officially confirmed and revealed up to this point. It began with rumors circulating about an announcement and closed testing launching at the end of March or early April. Files for CS2 were also discovered in a recent Nvidia software update. It was then discovered that Valve had also filed new trademarks for CS2, further fueling the rumors.

Counter-Strike 2 announcement tweet
Counter-Strike 2 is expected to launch in summer 2023 as a free upgrade to CSGO.
Source: Valve

The idea of Counter-Strike 2 replacing CSGO is a very odd one, but not without precedent. It’s similar to Blizzard swapping out the original Overwatch with Overwatch 2, for better or worse. Even so, it looks like Valve is going out of its way to upgrade and improve Counter-Strike for a new generation of players. Be sure to stay tuned for more details and updates as they become available.

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on BlueSky @JohnnyChugs.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 22, 2023 9:58 AM

    TJ Denzer posted a new article, Counter-Strike 2 officially confirmed by Valve in a series of developer diaries

    lol x1inf x4unf x6TAGWTFwow x1AWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 9:42 AM

      [deleted]

      LOLinf x1unf x2TAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 9:49 AM

        Would be cool if there was a "demaster" mode where it makes the game look like classic 1.x Counter-Strike.

        LOLinf x1UNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 9:53 AM

        But the weapon skins, show them to me!!

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 9:56 AM

        Whoah, I don't think I've played Counterstrike in probably 15 years (no joke) Is it still popular? This engine upgrade looks pretty nice!

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 9:57 AM

        Neat little feature list, but nothing I'm seeing that's worthy of being called a sequel

        LOLinf x1UNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 9:58 AM

          [deleted]

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 22, 2023 10:02 AM

            Asking for maps to be retired in CS would be like asking id to remove maps from quake 3

            CS is the most popular competitive shooter. A new version can’t do anything to jeopardize the feel of the game. This is why CS: source was a flop. It deviated too much from the winning formula that 1.6

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
            • reply
              March 22, 2023 10:08 AM

              [deleted]

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              • reply
                March 22, 2023 10:19 AM

                they did level up the maps

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExZtISgOxEQ

                LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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                  March 22, 2023 10:32 AM

                  [deleted]

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                  • reply
                    March 22, 2023 10:58 AM

                    i dunno, i think it looks great. basically bringing it up to the fidelity of valorant, which is fine for that kind of game.

                    also they just recently hit their lifetime high for peak concurrent players (1.4mil i believe?), so i can appreciate them not wanting to fuck with the formula too much.

                    LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                  • reply
                    March 22, 2023 2:55 PM

                    Those upgrades look pretty darn good in motion.

                    LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
              • reply
                March 22, 2023 10:26 AM

                An engine and environment upgrade is the best I would expect for CS. The core game should never change (as evident from CS:S, which felt drastically different than 1.6)

                LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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                  March 22, 2023 10:55 AM

                  [deleted]

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                  • reply
                    March 22, 2023 11:06 AM

                    That’s a fair take. At this point, CS is cemented as an esport and I wouldn’t ever expect significant change. It would be like mechanically changing baseball.

                    LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
              • reply
                March 22, 2023 2:00 PM

                Counter Strike is about memorizing things like sight lines and grenade throws and optimizing them to the pixel.

                If you change the way that a flashbang would bounce off of a wall or ceiling then it would literally ruin the game for people who take the game seriously.

                LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                • reply
                  March 22, 2023 2:17 PM

                  [deleted]

                  LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                  • reply
                    March 22, 2023 2:26 PM

                    They can add new maps but you can't sabotage the community by changing existing maps, it would literally kill the game.

                    Memorization and optimization are defining features of Counter Strike.

                    "CS has a pretty substantial history of change over time"

                    All of which gets walked back.

                    LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                    • reply
                      March 22, 2023 2:32 PM

                      I should be clear that while I respect the hell out of Counter Strike, I fucking hate playing it, Valorant too. :)

                      I also recognize that the Zen mentality of polishing a rock to perfection is a core principle of Counter Strike. Its very different from a game like Overwatch where the constant addition of new characters and intentional changing of the meta through regular balance patches (like a MOBA does) is its core principle).

                      Mixing things up would have pretty severe consequences, especially with Counter Strike being bigger than its ever been.

                      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                    • reply
                      March 22, 2023 2:43 PM

                      [deleted]

                      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                      • reply
                        March 22, 2023 3:15 PM

                        CS always reverts to the mean. Usually Valve giving skeleton crew support to their games is a negative thing but in the case of something like Counter Strike where millions of players want the game to remain the same, its actually a positive.

                        To your last point though, maybe they should have just given it a different subtitle instead of a "2". There was backlash over Overwatch 2 being designated "2" even though there were substantial changes to its game design and balance. The "2" for Counter Strike feels way less earned because its basically an engine refresh while trying to keep the game what it is (which IMO they should).

                        "2" sets a different level of expectations, and now that I think about it I'm kind of surprised that they went down that road after seeing what happened with Overwatch 2 "looking the same" even though the core game itself was very different.

                        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                        • reply
                          March 22, 2023 3:23 PM

                          [deleted]

                          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                          • reply
                            March 22, 2023 4:00 PM

                            For sure. I mentioned below that Source limited what they could do with map sizes in their battle royale mode. Perhaps Source 2 will give them more flexibility for maps and modes, I have no idea but we'll see!

                            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
                        • reply
                          March 22, 2023 3:24 PM

                          Sorry but the "2" designation for OW is a joke. If they included the PvE content I'd give them some leeway but the changes they made are really no different than when they changed it to 2/2/2.

                          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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                            March 22, 2023 3:58 PM

                            The "2" will be complete when PvE will drop but the changes they made are the most substantial since going 2/2/2. I'd argue they're much more substantial since 5v5 and the rebalancing of tanks radically changed the shape of the game, especially in the metal ranks.

                            Optimal pre-2/2/2 comps still played more like regular 2/2/2 comps (ability rotations and stacking passives) while the OW2 format is substantially faster and clearly rewards playing for the map instead of just playing the objective. I've played diamond and masters in both games and its so insanely different.

                            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 10:39 AM

          More features will be revealed up until launch they’ve said.

          Doubtful the core gameplay will be significantly different at least in the standard modes in any case. I do wonder if they will ever play with bringing up the sights. Probably not.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 9:58 AM

        Maybe we should move Thursday night shackbattles to CS 🙂

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFwow x1AWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 10:05 AM

        well that's cool. But I think I sort of quit playing around 2003 lol. Maybe worth revisiting after this

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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        March 22, 2023 11:56 AM

        [deleted]

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • rms legacy 10 years legacy 20 years mercury super mega
        reply
        March 22, 2023 12:03 PM

        Is there any good reason to buy this "CS:GO Prime Status Upgrade" ?

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 12:45 PM

        I don't even know for what cs 1.6? Wasn’t cs:go free to play?

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 10:34 AM

      Seeing those CS_ITALY alleys gave me the warm and fuzzies. Haven't played Counter-Strike in well over a decade, but (at the height of my love for it) I was playing easily 6-8 hours a day, for a few years.

      LOLinf x4unf x1TAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 10:38 AM

        Apparently I don't even own CS GO. I have CS. And CS Source.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 2:36 PM

          It's free, go for it

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 10:45 AM

        [deleted]

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 11:08 AM

        I can hear the guitar strumming :)

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWaww x1
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 6:17 PM

        100% there with you.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 10:44 AM

      I look forward to an incredibly small number of people committing to their insistence that CS 1.6 was perfectly balanced in every way as all things should be.
      I believe that in the year of our lord 2023 there are still people who prefer beta4? to all other versions. I remember being able to zoom and strafe jump with the knife out on cs_backalley and oneshopt HBPs something like 25 years ago, and I have nostalgia for those days, I would never try to pretend that is the version I want everybody else playing.

      CS:S was such a wonderful execution of updating things, but IMO the community never really appreciated it. I do believe this is at least where Valve learned that if they were going to drag a beloved game from the aughties into the modern era, they would need to commit to becoming loving curators and we got DOTA2 out of it.

      I felt like CS:GO never really reached it's full potential. The MOBA genre and collapse of non-playlist multiplayer into Halo/COD/Console FPS "lobbies" really threw a wrench into servers where you could play with people and evolve a community and train and fuck around and find out.

      Anyway, wooo! Let's go, a new Counter-Strike!!!!!!!!

      LOLinf x1unf x1TAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 10:47 AM

        GO is the most popular game on steam and is the most popular competitive shooter, probably ever. Didn’t reach its full potential?

        There’s a reason why people that loved 1.6 and beta cs hated source, and why source was quick to be killed off in favor of GO. I think you have your minority backwards.

        lol x1INFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 11:05 AM

          Admittedly, I didn't do any actual investigation into how popular CS:GO is or was, and haven't considered myself a member of the CS community since well before it's launch, just old nerd vibes :)

          I do know it's incredibly popular for skin trading and esports gambling, and was even broadcast on major cable networks, but I never shook the feeling that it could have and should have been much more mainstream than it ever was.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 22, 2023 11:09 AM

            It is as mainstream as a competitive game can be, aside from league of legends.

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 2:01 PM

          GO felt to me like everyone was on rollerblades, for like the first year or so. I liked Source.I liked 1.6. I liked both more than GO.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 11:30 AM

        [deleted]

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 1:39 PM

        Wait, are you saying that CS:S was peak Counter Strike?

        There's good reason why the community was split for almost a decade, it felt awful compared to 1.6. CS:GO did what CS:S never could, which was to unify the community under one version of the game.

        As for CS:GO never reaching full potential, Counter Strike has never been bigger, its literally the biggest game on Steam, bigger than Dota 2 ever was: https://steamcharts.com/app/730#All

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 2:09 PM

          I think what I was trying to say was: that to me, there is still a pretty big delta between CS:GO "having the most players on steam of all time" and CS:GO "being the premiere esport of our time; the esport that even a random person-on-the-street would be able to name if you asked them to name any esport ever".

          When I was younger, I really did believe it had the potential to supplant the NFL or at least one of the leagues that was striking regularly like the MLB or NHL, that's all.

          Lots of unrealized potential for esports, which is still fairly young compared to all of broadcasting.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 22, 2023 2:19 PM

            CS:GO is one of the largest esports out there, I believe in the top 3. LoL is still the king but CS:GO is bigger than Dota 2 at this point.

            As for esports hitting the mainstream, that's a whole other discussion. They will always appeal to their player bases most of all, which makes sense because knowing the game is so important, so it follows that the bigger the game the bigger its viewership will be. Getting outside of that is a whole other issue but I don't know if its possible to redesign a video game like CS to be appealing to people who don't play it, let alone a person on the street who doesn't know what it is.

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
            • reply
              March 22, 2023 2:24 PM

              Its worth noting that Counter Strike is probably the most accessible esport from a viewing standpoint, even for someone who's never played the game or even played an FPS.

              Every game has a natural narrative arc that couldn't be easier to follow. One team tries to plant the bomb. Will the other team stop them? If the other team plants the bomb will the other team be able to defuse the bomb before time runs out?

              Its maybe the sturdiest structure for an esport I can think of, short of Rocket League where you're literally playing soccer with cars.

              LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
            • reply
              March 22, 2023 2:31 PM

              It’s cultural. The US has never widely adopted esports. CSGO in Europe is probably comparable to LoL in Asia

              LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 11:06 AM

      I AM INTERESTED IN THIS

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 11:09 AM

      SUB TICKS!

      LOLINFunf x1TAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 11:13 AM

      The new smoke effects are amazing.

      LOLinf x4UNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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        March 22, 2023 11:40 AM

        [deleted]

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 1:03 PM

          Seems pretty complicated for an online game. They’ve got some pretty good experience with physics in multiplayer. Between their expertise, the magnitude of this game, the source 2 update, and likely also their networking improvements it was probably a perfect storm

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 11:57 AM

        [deleted]

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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          March 22, 2023 12:02 PM

          I think that's one of the more brilliant parts. It looks amazing and offers some interesting tactical ideas. The smoke tube doesn't appear to persist after the bullets are done so it will be good fun to see how this tweak to the mechanic works out. Super cool!

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 12:03 PM

          Sure but you'll using ammo, giving away your position, and allowing the other team to see you through the smoke as well. Smokes will still serve a purpose but how they're used and countered will be majorly affected.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 22, 2023 12:05 PM

            Exactly. No more cheesy smoke bangs. If you are going to commit to shooting blind through the smoke you are going to give away your position.

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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          March 22, 2023 2:44 PM

          It makes perfect sense if you ever watch pro teams play. It changes the game drastically but it's still very familiar

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 12:05 PM

        Yeah that looks badass

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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        March 22, 2023 12:32 PM

        [deleted]

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        • reply
          March 22, 2023 12:59 PM

          What kinds of things would you prefer to see polished? I think they've hit some import criteria with their smokes. It's consistent across all clients, it fills a volume in a logical and sensible manner, it reacts to lighting in a logical manner, and the bullet smoke tube adds a mechanical layer while still behaving in a convincing manner. Outside of letting me put some pork ribs or a brisket in there for a long slow cook I think they've got the best smoke mechanics I've seen yet in an online competitive FPS game.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 1:04 PM

        They're a step up but it's too static and the way it fillsnitslef back loops like it's made of memory foam.

        I would like the smoke to spray from inside out than their implementation which makes it start like a muffin top and fills outside in.

        LOLinf x1UNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 1:46 PM

        [deleted]

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      • reply
        March 22, 2023 2:34 PM

        They look awful! More like shaving foam more than smoke. Probably a fun mechanic tho.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 12:21 PM

      [deleted]

      lol x1INFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 1:42 PM

        Unlike OW2, CS2 is literally just the same game with a coat of new paint.

        This is the way it should be btw. OW2 is an evolving game while Counter Strike needs to be a game that is set in stone (which is why its actually good that a company like Valve devotes minimal resources towards evolving it)

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
        • reply
          March 22, 2023 1:57 PM

          It would be franchise suicide for them to make drastic and sweeping changes HOWEVER putting new paint and some slight tweaks with an entirely new foundation (engine) that allows for a lot of interesting things moving forward is not only brilliant but the correct way to handle things. Also, keeping it free of charge as well.

          Hello UBI and Rainbow Siege developers, take a BIG HINT. That's how you move to a new game engine and get your player base to come along with it.

          LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 22, 2023 2:03 PM

            It might also allow them (or someone) to build new modes. The Battle Royale mode that they added four or five years ago was designed specifically around the limitations of the Source engine.

            The engine couldn't handle the distant sightlines or the triangle counts for a map of that size so it was designed around a hill in the center that would guarantee that sightlines could never go past a certain point. Its definitely a creative solution but its also one that other engines don't have to worry about.

            I don't know for certain but maybe Source 2 doesn't have those sorts of limitations, we'll see

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
            • reply
              March 22, 2023 2:09 PM

              I'm a bit excited for the future. It would bring great joy to my heart to see a tidal wave of game mods on a new Source engine. The lack of mods for AAA games really feels like we've all been backed into a corner and starved for innovative content.

              LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
          • reply
            March 23, 2023 3:39 AM

            It should be noted Quake 4 multiplayer did this and it fell flat on its face. The casual audience didn't like that there wasn't anything new and the hardcore players got burnt out.

            CS is a different audience that hates change though so probably a better fit.

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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          March 22, 2023 3:58 PM

          [deleted]

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          • reply
            March 22, 2023 4:03 PM

            Yeah, I think they choice they're making to preserve the core game is totally correct. The branding may be incorrect though since it implies that there are lots of substantial changes. Overwatch 2 got a lot of backlash for being called Overwatch 2 (some of it deserved because the unreleased PvE mode will be the meat of it) despite making substantial changes to the PvP.

            CS2 is correctly being faithful to a mature game that doesn't need to be mixed up. Perhaps a different subtitle would have been better, but we're already here so who knows.

            LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 12:54 PM

      I guess I always thought CS:GO was like a spinoff series or something, not supposed to be an actual sequel to CS1, CSS, etc. But I guess it makes sense seeing as how it's always like the #1 game on Steam by a lot.

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 12:56 PM

      Dope, will definitely try it out. The player animations seems to be untouched which is a bit disappointing.

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 1:06 PM

      Almost a quarter century to get a sequel.

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 1:07 PM

        and yes, I know CS:S and CS:GO are a thing. Crazy that this game (much like WoW) is older than kids in college.

        MattDamonOld.gif

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 1:22 PM

      audio seems super low on that video

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
    • reply
      March 22, 2023 2:15 PM

      invites should be based on who downloaded the 1999 cs beta

      LOLinf x2UNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 2:19 PM

        beta3 checking in. Shame I missed out on when the models were too similar and FF was on by default.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 2:28 PM

        Should go by Steam ID.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
      • reply
        March 22, 2023 5:10 PM

        A men.

        LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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      March 22, 2023 2:41 PM

      I wish I could play 1.6 on console. I can’t play pc fps games anymore because of wrist pain. I loved that god damn game. I just couldn’t get into CS GO and this looks like that with some graphical improvements. I’m sad it’s not actually Counter Strike 2. We’ll never get a true sequel.

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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      March 22, 2023 3:52 PM

      impressive there was very little leaked...gives me hope for Half-Life 3

      lol x6INFUNFTAGWTFWOWaww x1
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      March 22, 2023 4:57 PM

      [deleted]

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      March 22, 2023 6:37 PM

      https://twitter.com/Papapishu/status/1638715790072446977

      LOLINFUNFTAGWTFWOWAWW
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