'Counter Strike 2' Limited Test: How to get access

It's here. It's finally here.

Yes, there's actually a full-on sequel to 2000's Counter-Strike in development by Valve. Counter-Strike 2 will launch this summer on Steam as a free upgrade for 2012's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and you can play it this week...if you're lucky. Here's how.

According to a FAQ(Opens in a new tab) on Steam, Valve's process for handing out invites to the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test is a little strange. Whether or not you get picked isn't entirely in your control, and it's not clear exactly how long the Limited Test will last or when other players will be let in.

Anyway, all you have to do is play CS:GO and hope for an invite to show up on the main menu screen in that game. It won't come in an email or even in a Steam message; it has to be done in an older Counter-Strike game. Weird. Here's how Valve is deciding who gets in and who doesn't right now:

Players are selected based on a number of factors deemed important by the Counter-Strike 2 development team, including (but not limited to) recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing.

In other words, if you've been playing a lot of CS:GO on official Valve servers and are a model citizen, your chances of getting in go up. I hope you haven't spent the last decade trolling people.

This part is much simpler. According to Valve's FAQ, the Limited Test is currently restricted to two modes: Deathmatch and Unranked Competitive. There's also only one map, the legendary Dust2 from older Counter-Strike releases. The word "Limited" is right there for a reason, folks.

That said, CS:GO players will also be able to use stickers, weapon finishes, and any other inventory items you have in CS2. That's nice. Now go, enjoy the rarest of blessed occurrences: Valve making a new video game.