The official announcement for Counter-Strike 2 just dropped, and it has gamers stunned. A limited test for Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), which Valve describes as a “overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience,” is beginning today, according to a tweet from the company. The game’s website calls it “the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history” Strike’s and promises years of updates, features, and amazing gameplay.

Something New That We Love

Based on Valve’s Source 2 engine, CS2 features updates to some of the game’s core mechanics, such as improved smoke grenades and “sub-tick updates,” which let “servers know the exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown,” according to Valve. In a video titled “Leveling Up The World,” Valve says that while maps will change in CS2, skilled players’ abilities should carry over. The three “tiers” of gaming maps are another topic covered by the organization. Certain “touchstone” levels, like Dust II, have slight visual changes but otherwise remain unchanged. These levels should allow players to acquire a sense of the new gameplay in a recognizable environment.

A Couple of Updates

There are other maps that have been improved or reworked, either by adding Source 2 features or by completely rebuilding them. A specific bind may also be used to take the silencer off your rifle, according to a tweet. People will be chosen to participate in the “limited test” based on criteria like “recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing,” the firm says. If you’re chosen, you’ll receive a notification in the CS:GO main menu that will allow you to enroll.

Users are permitted to stream their experience and publish recordings of it, so even those of us who can’t play the game should get a nice look at the upgraded smoke and lighting effects. You can only now play the restricted test in Deathmatch and “unranked competitive matchmaking” modes on the renowned Dust II map from Counter-Strike, though Valve promises that additional modes and maps will be included in later test releases. The limited test is also only available on Windows for now, and the FAQ makes zero mentions of Valve’s Steam Deck handheld.

Without Ash and Pikachu to blast them away, we assume it wouldn’t make sense for Team Rocket to continue moving forward. But for devoted followers, Team Rocket’s Pokémon farewell makes the loss of an era much more palpable. Pokémon is wrapping up its three most recognizable villains in popular culture, Jessie, James, and Meowth, as it gears up for the last episodes featuring Ash as the main character. And to make matters worse, Team Rocket appears to have been permanently dissolved by the anime.

After So Long

Friends, Pokémon, and enemies come to say goodbye to Ash in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series. Team Rocket had to participate in the farewell, of course. After all, they have been attempting to capture Pikachu for 25 years. Team Rocket made one more attempt to grab Pikachu from Ash in what appeared to be their final episode, and they took many of their former Pokémon with them to the battle. Though some were quick to see that not everyone was included.

The Lovable Villains

Clearly, despite having 25 years of experience, they were unsuccessful. For what appeared to be the last time, Team Rocket had blasted off of Pokémon. Yet in a startling turn of events, the trio decides it’s time to split ways. We weren’t expecting them to pursue Pikachu until the sun went down, but maybe we were at one point. It’s definitely sad to think that Team Rocket has split apart. And ideally they reconnect in the show’s final few episodes, even if it’s just in a quick montage.

There is little doubt that Pokémon is being brutally honest with its devotees. The show is aware that the conclusion must be significant, which includes all of the emotions. But, Team Rocket’s retirement raises concerns about the future as well. The three main villains might have been a wonderful bridge between chapters of Pokémon. Yet, it appears that a whole new threat will be faced by Liko and Roy. In addition, whoever the next Pokémon villain is is going to have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to live up to Team Rocket. Let’s hope the future of the Pokémon anime shines bright just as it has always been,

When you ask someone what their favorite Pokémon game is, they always give you such radically varied answers.

The reign of Johto

Some will stand behind Black and White and risk their lives to defend them, while some can look past Red and Blue’s evident flaws and applaud the series’ history.

Really, there is no correct response; it all depends on personal preference. Despite this, I will contend that the second Pokémon generation was the most ambitious ever, with Pokémon Crystal in particular continuing to be hailed as a true masterpiece.

People are still pleading for a similar game 22 years after it was released. That conveys a lot.

The pinnacle of Johto was—and still is—Pokémon Crystal. You’d think that Game Freak would be at a loss for how to enhance the experience further after creating two arguably ideal sequels to Red, Blue, and Yellow (those being Gold and Silver), but this wasn’t the case at all.

It’s simple to forget that this was the first game in the series to introduce animated sprites for Pokémon as they engaged in combat. While this might seem like a simple addition (and one that’s been upgraded significantly since), these animations added so much extra character to the region’s species.

Suicune, the best Water-type legendary Pokémon we’ve ever had, played a considerably larger role in the plot than it did in Gold and Silver, and the Ruins of Alph were also expanded to contain additional Unown puzzles and juicy, juicy backstory. These changes are evident in the box cover for the game.

Despite this, the opportunity to select a female character to play as may have been the biggest shift of all, and it happened immediately at the start of the game.

Prior to that, there were only male characters available for players to choose from, and while Red and Ethan were both cool, it was extremely restrictive for all the female Pokémon enthusiasts who were forced to play as men on what was supposed to be their very own adventure.

It was game changing

Some will stand behind Black and White and risk their lives to defend them, while some can look past Red and Blue’s evident flaws and applaud the series’ history.

Really, there is no correct response; it all depends on personal preference. Despite this, I will contend that the second Pokémon generation was the most ambitious ever, with Pokémon Crystal in particular continuing to be hailed as a true masterpiece.

People are still pleading for a similar game 22 years after it was released. That conveys a lot.

The pinnacle of Johto was—and still is—Pokémon Crystal. You’d think that Game Freak would be at a loss for how to enhance the experience further after creating two arguably ideal sequels to Red, Blue, and Yellow (those being Gold and Silver), but this wasn’t the case at all.

It’s simple to forget that this was the first game in the series to introduce animated sprites for Pokémon as they engaged in combat. While this might seem like a simple addition (and one that’s been upgraded significantly since), these animations added so much extra character to the region’s species.

Suicune, the best Water-type legendary Pokémon we’ve ever had, played a considerably larger role in the plot than it did in Gold and Silver, and the Ruins of Alph were also expanded to contain additional Unown puzzles and juicy, juicy backstory. These changes are evident in the box cover for the game.

Despite this, the opportunity to select a female character to play as may have been the biggest shift of all, and it happened immediately at the start of the game.

Prior to that, there were only male characters available for players to choose from, and while Red and Ethan were both cool, it was extremely restrictive for all the female Pokémon enthusiasts who were forced to play as men on what was supposed to be their very own adventure.