Matchmaking system for teams and individuals (with Elo rating system)
Focus on competitive 5v5 play and eSports
Ranked servers run by Valve (Competitive mode only)
Dedicated servers run by players (Casual mode only)
LAN support confirmed
Ranked / Ladder play for both individuals and 5 man teams (Competitive mode)
Bullet penetration through some walls / materials / objects
Classic CS gameplay – no ironsights
Competitive and Casual modes
Gameplay derived from both CS 1.6 and CS: Source with new twist
Weapons have been rebalanced to make weapon selection more interesting (so that players use more than the typical AK, M4, AWP, and Desert Eagle)
Beta is on PC only, starts in early September as a closed beta
Defuse and Hostage maps
Molotov grenades: create a pool of fire on the ground which slows movement speed of players crossing it and causes area of effect damage
Decoy grenades: emit fake weapon firing sounds to confuse enemies about your team’s position
New money system / weapon and equipment prices
Kevlar and helmet cannot be purchased, are given at beginning of every round like ammo
Ammo doesn’t need to be bought (like CS:S)
SourceTV not currently a priority
Forced DirectX 9 for everybody (for balance); DX10+ not supported
Flashbangs behave like in 1.6 – if you face away, you aren’t blinded for very long
Classic weapons return, but have been changed / rebalanced
New shotgun
New taser melee weapon – one use only, one hit kill
New heavy machine gun rifle
New pistols
Models and hitbox sizes slighty reduced from CS: Source
Valve wants to support cross-platform play (if permitted by Sony / Microsoft)