CS:GO players spent literal days farming hours for CS2 beta keys, now Valve says it doesn't count

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"The playtime that counts was your playtime prior to the start of the Limited Test"

A CS:GO player points his gun towards the screen
(Image credit: Valve)

Valve has confirmed that idling in CS:GO isn't going to increase your chances of getting into the Counter Strike 2 beta.

For the uninitiated, last week Valve announced Counter Strike 2 alongside a limited beta that started immediately. Several factors play into your chances of being sent an invite, and your "recent playtime on Valve official servers" is a big one. Of course, that resulted in many CS:GO players simply idling in an effort to boost their playtime and snag themselves a beta key, but Valve has now revealed that you're not doing yourself any favors with this method. In fact, nothing you're doing on Valve's servers counts toward your eligibility for the beta.

"PSA: Idling on official matchmaking servers in CS:GO does not increase your chances of making into the CS2 Limited Test," reads a tweet from the official Counter Strike Twitter account. "The playtime that counts was your playtime prior to the start of the Limited Test."

That, needless to say, sucks for everyone who's been feverishly racking up time in CS:GO hoping to get into the Counter Strike 2 beta. But that's fine: everyone's being super chill about the whole situation and no one seems all that bothered at all.

The only thing that might soothe the sting here is a reminder that yes, after all this time, Counter Strike 2 is real and it's due out this Summer. There's also a more open beta soon to be revealed, so we'll keep y'all updated on that when we know more. For now, and I mean this with love, there just might be some grass outside that needs touching.

Here's the only proper way to access the Counter Strike 2 Limited Test.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.