CSGO pro s1mple says Counter-Strike 2 is just a prank

Fariha Bhatti Published 14/03/2023

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive icon Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev has poured cold water on the Source 2 hype, claiming it’s all bait.

If you’re an avid FPS fan, you’re probably aware of the Counter-Strike 2 rumors, a hotly-anticipated Source 2 port. Since Richard Lewis broke the news, players have been at the edge, eagerly waiting for the new version to hit their Steam stores. However, no solid news has come from Valve yet, so some are dubious. But, most players are optimistic that this time leaks are credible.

Amid all this, CSGO pros and content creators are joking about beta keys, and rumors of pros flying to Seattle to test Counter-Strike 2 aren’t helping either. Now, s1mple has weighed in, claiming that everyone is playing a joke on the players.

“There is no such thing as Source 2 (yet), and the developers have not given anyone a beta. It was all a prank by professional gamers and streamers.” s1mple said in an Instagram story.

s1mple is currently one of the top pros in CSGO, so Valve may likely reach out to him to test the game. Now, players are confused if he’s holding up his NDA and purposefully misleading the community from digging too much into the rumors. Or, if Counter-Strike 2 is actually just a rumor.

At this point, anything is hard to say, even though leaks say otherwise. In a recent ESL stream, Team Liquid’s Finn “karrigan” Andersen Karrigan and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken were also seen joking about the alleged tests in Seattle. Twistzz even said that Counter-Strike 2 is overhyped, and it would likely be a significant update to the current bugs in the game.

It seems pro players aren’t too hopeful or excited. Yet, fans are all set to try out the new game on the Source 2 engine and leave the buggy CSGO in the past. It remains to be seen if the leakers are baiting or s1mple.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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