Palworld continues to break records, this time ranking among the most played games in the history of Steam, surpassing even renowned titles like Counter-Strike.
Palworld is news in the newspaper. For good, for bad, or usually, both. It’s something we have to get used to, because it’s as successful as it is controversial. And this time, we have to focus on the first. Because it has surpassed a milestone that not even its creators would have expected to achieve.
With a peak of 1,853,216 players on January 23rd, Palworld has become the second game with the most simultaneous players in the history of Steam. Surpassing Counter-Strike 2, and only surpassed by the staggering numbers of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, which stands at 3,257,248, Palworld is thus cemented as the first big success of 2024. Something that is confirmed with over eight million copies sold in less than 6 days.
Takuro Mizobe, CEO of Automaton, the studio behind Palworld, is very optimistic about these figures and says in an interview with Automaton that although the foundations of the game are already established, it is only 60% finished. Among their future plans is to include a PvP mode, which they see as very difficult to do well, but they will work to do it correctly. Therefore, considering the figures and the statements of the company’s CEO, it does not seem that the news about Palworld will cease soon.
Counter-Strike 2 has been launched completely by surprise and with a bug that crashes the game, but we explain how to fix it
Counter-Strike 2 has been released completely by surprise, replacing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in your Steam library. With improved graphics and sounds, new physics for smoke grenades, and completely revamped maps, among many other changes, it feels almost like a new game. Unfortunately, not everything is good news. Many players are complaining that the game is plagued with bugs. And one of them is so severe that it actually crashes the game to the desktop as soon as it’s launched.
This issue occurs on both Linux and Windows, and for now, the reason behind it is unknown. While Valve is likely working on a patch to fix it, you don’t have to wait for that to enjoy the game. That’s why we’re offering you a series of possible solutions that may help you, hopefully, resolve this issue.
Update your drivers
It’s common sense, but we all forget it from time to time. The main reason a game doesn’t work as it should is often outdated drivers on our computer, especially our graphics card drivers. Make sure to update them before trying anything else.
Try this series of small changes
The community has found a series of small changes that have generally helped with crashes in Counter-Strike 2. If you already have updated drivers, it’s worth trying these five things before resorting to more drastic measures:
Remove any launch options from Steam’s Launch Options.
Disable AMD FSR.
Launch the game in compatibility mode and disable fullscreen optimization.
Disable Faceit Anticheat.
Disable computer overclocking.
Close the background applications you have running
If none of the above works, you may have a resource issue. Counter-Strike 2 can be a demanding game in terms of RAM and CPU usage, even if your system meets the requirements. You should try closing all background applications. Open Task Manager, close all these applications, and try launching the game again.
Scan and repair game files
This is the last resort for Windows users. To do this, you have to open Steam, go to the Library tab, and search for Counter-Strike 2. Right-click on it, go to Properties, and look for the Local Files tab. There you will find the Verify Integrity of Game Files button. If something is wrong with the game installation, Steam should be able to fix it.
You need to access the command console (only if you’re playing from Linux)
If your operating system is Linux, there’s still another possible solution. You have to open PowerShell as an administrator and enter the following two commands:
dir “$env:systemroot\system32\driverstore\filerepository\*NvCameraEnable.exe” -rec |% {& “$_” off}
dir “$env:programfiles\nvidia corporation\*NvCameraEnable.exe” -rec |% {& “$_” off}
According to reports from some players, this has helped them fix their issues with the game. But at the end of the day, everything we propose here are temporary solutions. Things you can do to try to enjoy the game while Valve finds a permanent fix. Because, until that happens, we’re afraid there is no surefire way to safely eliminate crashes in Counter-Strike 2.
Counter-Strike 2 was launched yesterday, September 27, completely by surprise, to the delight of its fans, who can now enjoy it
Counter-Strike is one of the most influential games of all time. This is not an exaggeration. It largely defined what online shooters would be and created a modding scene that, while it never became as extensive and vibrant as Doom’s, managed to open a door that had previously been strictly English-speaking. Counter-Strike may not have created any of these things, but it did help democratize them long before Call of Duty made them mainstream. And that’s why it’s important.
On September 27th, Valve surprised gamers by releasing Counter-Strike 2. Since it’s a free update for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the game is free to play, and there’s no need to pay to play it. However, the game has an upgrade to Prime status, which costs 14.29 euros. This upgrade allows players to receive commemorative items, weapon cases, and exclusive random Prime items. Additionally, it will match you only with other Prime status players to avoid potential gameplay imbalances.
Counter-Strike 2 was announced on March 22nd, with no specific release date other than a vague 2023 and numerous videos explaining the changes it would bring to the game. Using the Source 2 engine, the changes in both graphics and gameplay in Counter-Strike 2 are very noticeable compared to its predecessor, which, due to its age, was already showing signs of fatigue.
Among the changes you can find in Counter-Strike 2are regional and global leaderboards, significant map changes, completely different dynamics in the physics of smoke grenades, redesigned visual and sound effects, and a smoother gameplay experience in terms of server stability. These aspects will be enjoyed equally by Counter-Strike veterans and newcomers to this veteran game, originally released in 1999 but appearing to be more alive than ever in 2023.
The Counter-Strike 2 beta continues to grow, showing that Valve is committed to offering us the best successor to its flagship game.
If there’s an unexpected news in 2023, it’s the announcement of Counter-Strike 2. While Counter-Strike is one of Valve’s flagship games, a game that has remained relevant for years, breaking record after record, and maintaining its relevance in the background for twenty-four years, no one expected a sequel anymore. Not when it seemed like it didn’t need one. Even when Riot Games shamelessly copied its formula to steal part of its audience and professionals with Valorant, it didn’t feel like Valve was ready to take a step forward. Except they were waiting for the right moment.
On March 22nd, the announcement of Counter-Strike 2 was made, and since then, a beta version of the game has been made available. Although it requires owning Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and being selected to participate in the beta, with priority given to those who have recently played the game, many people have already had the opportunity to try the game, and we have already explained how you can do it too.
However, in these almost three months, we have hardly had any updates for the best tactical shooter of all time. That is, until the recent major update that has just landed in the Counter-Strike 2 beta. What does this update add? Essentially, a complete overhaul of how weapon purchasing works in the game.
Up until now, as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players are already familiar with, we had a traditional roulette system through which we accessed all the weapons in the game. This has now been removed, and an inventory system has been introduced that needs to be managed before the start of the match. Players can choose up to 15 weapons from a total of 25, divided into four different categories. During the match, we can only purchase the weapons that we have selected. Therefore, we will have to carefully consider our role before entering the match, as we won’t be able to change equipment as freely as we could in the previous installment of the franchise.
In any case, the inventory system works based on different categories. Here are the following categories:
Starting Pistol: The default weapon for each side. Cannot be changed. Counter-Terrorists start with the USP-S and P2000, while Terrorists start with the Glock-28.
Pistols: We can select up to four pistols. Any combination is possible.
Intermediate Category: We can select up to five weapons. This includes all the weapons that were previously classified as heavy weapons and submachine guns.
Rifles: We can select up to four rifles. Does carrying both the M4A1 and M4A1-S feel like cheating? Well, maybe a little.
In addition to the above, there are some minor changes in terms of sound, available maps, and other small details. Does this mean that the game’s release is near? Who knows. The only thing that’s certain is that Valve is meticulously nurturing the development of this Counter-Strike 2. They are making sure it turns out well, taking in as much feedback as possible from their most loyal players, to make it not just good, but perfect. They want it to be the successor that everyone desires and expects. And so far, that’s exactly what they are achieving: a worthy successor to the legend of Counter-Strike.
