Counter-Strike 2 tops Steam and streaming charts with CS2 launch

CS2 has stormed to the top of the Stream and streaming charts following its launch, peaking at over 1.3 million players and nearly 600K viewers at one time.

Counter-Strike 2 was fully released on September 27 as Valve’s new release of their signature FPS franchise.

After teasing CS2 on their socials over the past few months, they finally dropped a major hint letting fans know that the launch was imminent. 

CSGO’s sequel dropped with an overhaul of new features, which built off its feedback from the previous CS2 beta testing.

Although some longtime CS:GO players have slammed Counter-Strike 2 for its changes, it has not stopped it from rising to the top of the stream and streaming charts upon release.

Counter-Stike 2 is the most-played game on Steam

Within its first 24 hours after launching, Valve’s shooter achieved its peak of over 1.3 million players at one time and has continued to peak at over 1.3 million players per day, according to Steam.

Even after a few days had passed, on September 30, Counter-Strike 2 still kept hold of the top spot for being the most-played game on Steam by a staggering over 500K players, with Dota 2 coming in second. 

It has beaten off other notable games, such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, Apex Legends, and Grand Theft Auto, which are all peaking at around 300K players or less per day.

As well as this, it has surged straight to the top of the viewing charts for streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Kick. 

According to StreamCharts, it peaked at over 600K viewers at one time on its first day since launch, where it has continued to maintain high viewership.

Despite its success, some Counter-Strike 2 players have been left frustrated after it dropped with a key “broken” feature.