Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a free-to-play multiplayer tactical first-person shooter developed and published by Valve. Released in September 2023, it is the fifth main entry in the Counter-Strike series and serves as a direct replacement for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam. Two teams, Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, compete in objective-based rounds across modes such as bomb defusal and hostage rescue. Built on the Source 2 engine, the game introduced volumetric smoke physics, revised weapon handling, and a new sub-tick server architecture. It inherited all cosmetic items from its predecessor and features both a map-specific Competitive mode and a numerically ranked Premier mode.

Below are the four PC tiers we'd actually recommend for Counter-Strike 2 today. These are our 2026 hardware picks, not the dated publisher minimums you'll find on Steam.

If you'd rather buy than build, these are the Create PCs machines we'd put Counter-Strike 2 on, cheapest first. Real specifications and current prices, each link lands on that exact build.

CREATE TRINITY

Mid

£2,453

CPU

Intel 14 Core Ultra 5 245K Unlocked Desktop CPU/Processor

GPU

Palit NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti INFINITY 3 16GB Blackwell Graphics Card

RAM

Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit

Storage

WD Black SN850X 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5

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CREATE NR200P

Mid-high

£3,567

CPU

Intel 20 Core Ultra 7 265 Desktop CPU/Processor

GPU

PALIT NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GamingPro-S Blackwell Graphics Card

RAM

Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit

Storage

Sandisk Black SN850X 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5

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CREATE ZION

Mid-high

£3,693

CPU

Intel 14 Core Ultra 5 245K Unlocked Desktop CPU/Processor

GPU

ASUS ROG STRIX NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC Blackwell Graphics Card

RAM

Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit

Storage

Sandisk Black SN850X 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5

See this build →

Prices from Create PCs, the UK builder we run, and include VAT. They're the price shown on arrival, not a teaser, but components get repriced, so treat them as current rather than fixed. Custom-built machines start around £2,400; below that a self-build is usually the better answer, and we say so on our budget guides.

Official system requirements

Counter-Strike 2 isn't sold on Steam, so we don't have Steam-published specs to display. Our 2026 hardware recommendations above are based on real-world performance testing and similar-title comparison.

Can your PC run Counter-Strike 2?

Check the manufacturer's launcher (Battle.net, Riot Client, Epic, etc.) for specific requirements, most live-service titles run well on a modern entry-level gaming PC.

Best gaming PC for Counter-Strike 2 →