Valve will be implementing the next Operation and Source 2 engine for CS:GO this Summer. The information was revealed during the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive presentation for China’s release.

We have reached out to Valve for an official comment, but have yet to receive a response.

The text translates:

Source 2 engine and Panoramic UI The next big action [Operation?] — this Summer

CSGO Source 2

The Source 2 engine was speculated for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for some time, though it’s now becoming a reality this summer. With Source 2, CS:GO should not only look better, but also run smoother as it steps away from the original 32-bit Source engine.

The new system should optimize performance, though the “feel” of CS:GO may change slightly. While running on the original Source engine, CS:GO utilizes the Havok physics engine. Source 2, on the other hand, uses a new physics engine known as Rubikon.

When the switch to Rubikon occurs, you may feel minor changes to player movement and grenade physics due to the new engine. Rubikon may force players and teams to either adapt existing smoke-throws or create completely new ones. In addition, minor movement changes may not be felt by many, but has a significant impact on Competitive. Any miscalculated step can often lead to your death or a missed pick.

Valve previously increased player friction to lessen the “slippery” feel of movement just slightly, and the game felt new as a result. Source 2’s Rubikon might introduce a similar effect.

Lastly, the new technology also allows for a destructible environment, though I don’t see Valve implementing this feature into CSGO. Allowing players to blast through walls and objects would change Global Offensive’s gameplay entirely by creating undesigned routes or bypassing the map’s flow. If added, Valve would have essentially created a new game.

Here’s a side-by-side visual comparison of DOTA 2 after its transition from Source to Source 2.

CSGO’s Next Operation

It’s been over a year since Counter-Strike’s last operation and though we still have to wait a few months, at least we know a general timeline for its release. Though we’ve yet to receive a full announcement, the maps for CS: GO’s next operation have already been datamined in March and will include:

de_thrill

cs_agency

de_shipped

de_lite

de_blackgold

de_austria

cs_insertion

You can find more information about each of the maps here.

Summer of 2017 should be a big year for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as it implements the long-awaited Source 2 engine and next Operation.