author: Miriam Moszczynska
Traces of Source 2 Found in CSGO Patch
We don't know much about CSGO's transition to the Source 2 engine, but Valve's latest update could have been a slip-up. It's entirely possible that the developers put more into the game than they should have.
Yesterday Counter-Strike: Global Offensive saw the release of a new update, which introduced too many changes. Namely, players found references to VACnet in the game's code. This in turn gave rise to jokes about the introduction of a new engine in the small (40 MB) update.
Mistakes happen
The update, which came into the game to celebrate the conclusion of the PGL Antwerp 2022 major, in addition to new weapon sticker capsules introduced changes to VACnet - the anti-cheat system used by CSGO.
The new code didn't have a huge impact on the game, however. As one player's description of the update reads, "it only introduced a few profiles with native protection against some sort of tampering."
What surprised the players, however, was the fact that the introduced code was just as quick to appear as it was to disappeared. Valve almost immediately released a second update that removed these fragments.
Source 2 implemented in 40 MB
Of course, most players focused on the stickers, but some did not refrain from summarizing the situation with the code with jokes about "cramming the Source 2 engine into 40 MB" .. These jokes probably have little to do with the truth, although there is no denying that the behavior on Valve's part may seem slightly suspicious.
It is also worth noting that we do not actually know when CSGO will move to the new engine. Certainly, transferring the game and all its content (which is currently adapted to the first version of Source) will not be an easy task.
What will Source 2 change?
Certainly, the change won't be as big as some expect. Among the most frequently mentioned features of Source 2 are:
- Smoother gameplay - made possible by the use of DirectX 11 and Vulkan; the engine is able to draw on more CPU resources and runs in 64-bit;
- Support for both new and older hardware, which is expected to provide a comfortable gaming experience for more players;
- Slightly better graphics, mainly improved lighting;
- New in-game physics engine;
- Providing the community with new tools for creating maps, models, etc.
Currently, several Valve games already use this engine, including: Half-Life: Alyx and Dota 2. It is worth noting that a large dose of information about the changes coming with Source 2 were when Dota was switched to this very engine.
However, we still do not know the transition date for CSGO. Some speculate that it could happen this year, but until we receive details from Valve, it is better not to get our hopes up.
