Amid malicious third-party sites attempting to scam players out of their Steam login information, Valve has warned fans over Twitter to avoid fake keys for its Counter-Strike 2 beta. With access being doled directly through Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's main menu, anything beyond Valve's official method for key dispersal can safely be considered a fake.
On March 22, Valve shocked gamers everywhere with its sudden and robust announcement of Counter-Strike 2, launching a dedicated website with a trove of in-depth information on its updates to the decades-old formula for one of the most popular multiplayer shooters of all time. With striking new visual, lighting, and particle effects possible with the Source 2 Engine, and under-the-hood advancements to its tick rates and server capabilities, Counter-Strike 2 represents the largest technical leap forward in the franchise's history. Fans also welcomed the news that the new title would be a free upgrade for all CS:GO players and that their inventory of cosmetics would carry over to the new game, with Steam's VAC bans carrying over as well.
Hours after the unveiling of Counter-Strike 2, Valve took to the official Counter-Strike Twitter to warn players of numerous scams promoting access to the Counter-Strike 2 beta. Any third-party site advertising limited test access or beta keys is unequivocally a scam, with the lone method for accessing the Counter-Strike 2 beta coming through launching CS:GO and checking the main menu to see if Valve has selected the account for its test. It has been confirmed by the studio that there are no limited test keys, third-party promotions, or unaffiliated opt-ins. It is up to Valve's discretion as to whom it allows access, and it is basing the decision on a number of metrics, from recent activity and skill level to Steam's trust factor levels.
Fraudulent schemes to goad naive players into sharing their Steam login information are as old as the platform itself. In the case of Counter-Strike where some items in the in-game marketplace can fetch upwards of six figures, scamming accounts is big business, as malefactors explore a number of avenues to lie, cheat, and steal their way into other players' passwords. It comes as little surprise to fans that with the announcement of Counter-Strike 2, and its limited availability for its testing phase, scams surrounding its access would quickly become rampant.
Valve is imploring its fans not to explore outside methods of accessing the Counter-Strike 2 beta, as it ensures that more invites will be doled out up until the game's official release. With excitement for a new Counter-Strike game at a fever pitch, the studio is urging self-control from its biggest supporters who were not selected for the beta.
Counter-Strike 2 will be released in the summer of 2023 for PC.