Counter-Strike 2 is everything Warzone 2 needed to be

When the long-awaited Counter-Strike 2 closed beta launched and its features were announced, Warzone 2 players watched in envy. While Infinity Ward reinvented the wheel by giving it corners, Valve has rounded its wheel and strapped an engine to it.

Warzone 2 was an opportunity for Call of Duty's battle royale to return to its dizzying pandemic popularity after a steady decline towards the end of its life. The original came at a time when people needed it more than ever, as friends that hadn't seen each other for months reconnected in Verdansk. With a spruced-up sequel, fans of the game hoped to experience some nostalgia and a vastly-improved BR experience through the release of Warzone 2.

However, the original Warzone's popularity was a product of not just the pandemic, but of its fast-paced gameplay too, with slide cancelling, light guns, one-shot snipers, and a tight map. So what did the sequel decide to do? Remove slide cancelling, make guns feel sluggish, remove one-shot snipers, and add large baron areas to its new Al Mazrah map. The game felt completely different, and it was worse off because of it.

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