A Call to Arms Update: New Gameplay Tweaks and Fixes

Valve’s latest content drop for Counter-Strike 2, dubbed “A Call to Arms,” has brought about a slew of exciting changes and improvements. While we’ve already touched upon the introduction of the Kilowatt Case and the return of Arms Race, let’s delve into the key gameplay adjustments that this update has ushered in.

Zeus Overhaul: CS2’s Electrifying Update

In a surprising twist, one of the least utilized items in CS2’s arsenal, the Zeus, has undergone a significant transformation. Now, this once-neglected weapon has been revamped into a reusable tool with a 30-second recharge delay, making it a game-changer in all modes.

Here’s a breakdown of the changes made to the Zeus:

ZEUS Updates:

• Made the Zeus reusable across all game modes, introducing a 30-second recharge delay.
• Added support for applying stickers and name tags to the Zeus, allowing players to customize their electrifying weapon.
• Adjusted the first-person model position of the Zeus for improved visual clarity and gameplay experience.
• Included a distinct Zeus kill icon on kill cards and post-round damage reports, ensuring recognition for electrifying eliminations.

Smoke Updates:

• Smokes now cast shadows, enhancing realism and tactical awareness.
• Improvements to smoke rendering and animation, resulting in a smoother visual experience.

Gameplay Enhancements:

• Added a convenient “Refund All” button to the buy menu, streamlining item management.
• Introduced a setting to disable first-person bullet tracers, offering players more customization options.
• Silencers can now be reattached at any time, regardless of detaching settings.
• Player pings are no longer obstructed by invisible geometry, ensuring accurate communication.
• Various adjustments made to sub-tick shooting mechanics for improved accuracy.
• Fixed instances where players could silently drop down vertical surfaces, ensuring fair gameplay.
• Enhanced smoothness of sliding along surfaces, optimizing movement mechanics.
• Resolved jittery collisions between players, providing a more stable gaming experience.
• Loadout changes are now prohibited while searching for Premier, Competitive, or Wingman matches, ensuring accurate loadouts at the start of matches.

Sound Enhancements:

• Audio Input Device Selection: Players can now choose their preferred audio input device for VOIP from the audio settings menu, allowing for personalized communication setups.
• Microphone Threshold Adjustment: Added the option to modify the microphone threshold, determining the minimum loudness required before transmitting audio. Metering for the current microphone loudness is also available in the audio options menu.
• Microphone Monitoring: Introduced the ability to listen to your own microphone from the audio settings menu, enabling players to assess their audio output in real-time.
• Sound Effect Replacements: Replaced the M249 fire sound effect and revamped the Zeus charging, charge not available, and charge ready states sound effects for a more immersive auditory experience.
• Occlusion Effects Reduction: Further reduced occlusion effects to enhance sound clarity and realism.
• Minor Mix Adjustments: Made minor adjustments to sound mixing for improved balance and immersion.
• Player-Centric Sound Fixes: Fixed an issue where certain player-centric sounds were perceived as originating from slightly behind the player, ensuring accurate sound localization.

Networking Improvements:

• Peeker’s Advantage Reduction: Reduced peeker’s advantage in various scenarios, with a 16ms reduction in steady-state peeker’s advantage.
• Frequency Reduction: Decreased the frequency of situations leading to excessive peeker’s advantage caused by excessive command queue depth.
• Latency Reporting: Added the cl_ticktiming console command, providing a detailed report on various sources of latency.
• Server Update Buffering: Introduced an option to buffer server updates and user commands by one or more packets, smoothing over stuttering due to packet loss at the expense of increased latency.

Map Fixes and Adjustments:

• Significant updates to maps Inferno, Ancient, Anubis, Overpass, Mirage, Nuke, Vertigo, Italy, and Office to address collision issues, improve grenade predictability, and fix geometry bugs.

The Call To Arms update is a game-changer for CS2. It exceeded expectations, bringing a wave of improvements that players welcomed with open arms.

Compared to CS2’s initial release, which had its challenges, this update is a breath of fresh air. It sets the stage for even more exciting updates in the future. With the Call To Arms update, CS2 is poised for greatness, promising an exhilarating journey ahead for players.