Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • RPG Club
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • Game of the Week
  • New Games 2026
  • G+RLS Podcast
  • Best gaming tech
  • Join our RPG Club
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. FPS Games
  3. Counter-Strike 2

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

News
By Jordan Gerblick
Published 27 March 2023

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

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A CS:GO player points his gun towards the screen
(Image credit: Valve)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

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."

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

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.

Kidding:

You may like
  • Counter-Strike 2 release trailer screenshot showing an old-style white desktop PC running the Counter-Strike menu atop a wooden desk Valve says Counter-Strike 2 cases are fine and "people enjoy surprises" in move to dismiss lawsuit
  • TBH: Task Bar Hero RPG devs apologize to "Steam staff and all of our players" after they break Valve's marketplace
  • Counter-Strike player with his head in his hands Thanks, Valve: a set of Counter-Strike 2 Cologne Major stickers now costs nearly $20,000

you're telling me I just played 8 hours of Arms Race for nothing??? pic.twitter.com/EkuI0KKXouMarch 27, 2023

wtf... pic.twitter.com/gHqRdvskQKMarch 27, 2023

You’re telling me my 50 Danger Zone hours in the last 4 days doesn’t count….March 27, 2023

Me realizing i wasted 4 hours to get global in Wingman pic.twitter.com/LdVMyz9pW5March 27, 2023

CS2 Twitter to idlers: pic.twitter.com/A2yOIdQ5IHMarch 27, 2023

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.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Social Links Navigation
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.

Read more
Counter-Strike 2 release trailer screenshot showing an old-style white desktop PC running the Counter-Strike menu atop a wooden desk
FPS Games Valve says Counter-Strike 2 cases are fine and "people enjoy surprises" in move to dismiss lawsuit
 
 
TBH: Task Bar Hero
RPGs RPG devs apologize to "Steam staff and all of our players" after they break Valve's marketplace
 
 
Counter-Strike player with his head in his hands
FPS Games Thanks, Valve: a set of Counter-Strike 2 Cologne Major stickers now costs nearly $20,000
 
 
Gears of War: E-Day screenshot
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day's Steam count has once again blown past the series record in its second beta
 
 
Final Sentence character with a gun aimed at him
Battle Royale Games Viral dev tells players "don't buy this game" on Steam yet because it's about to go on sale
 
 
Half-Life 2 Ravenholm
FPS Games A Valve designer recreated Half-Life 2's Ravenholm in the Source 2 engine and was "blown away"
 
 
Latest in FPS Games
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam screenshot of a soldier aiming a gun towards a tank; another soldier can be seen nearby it
FPS Games Hell Let Loose: Vietnam director says games need "friction" to thrive, and this shooter is proof
 
 
Halo Campaign Evolved Two Betrayals cutscene master chief and 343 guilty spark
Halo Halo co-creator says the remake's lack of PvP is a "misstep" resulting from "poor planning"
 
 
Halo: Campaign Evolved Master Chief standing behind the lifeboat pilot as they approach Halo
FPS Games Halo: Campaign Evolved needed PvP to match Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 PS5 sales, analyst says
 
 
Key art for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam showing a squad of soldiers approaching an island as fires break out around them
FPS Games Hell Let Loose: Vietnam review: "Often frustrating but always involving, this FPS brings war to life and bloody death"
 
 
Overwatch screenshot of Sombra holding a dark orb
FPS Games Overwatch's huge "battle pass revamp" is out tomorrow and makes things more complicated but better
 
 
Overwatch characters dress like Sanrio mascots
FPS Games Overwatch's resurgence drove Blizzard to its "first back-to-back years of growth" in 10 years
 
 
Latest in News
Grand Theft Auto IV screenshot showing a middle-aged man with short brown hair and dark sunglasses wearing a black suit jacket and white shirt posing with his arms open
Grand Theft Auto GTA 4 producer wanted NPCs "to have their own lives," former lead says, but it was scrapped
 
 
No Man's Sky head mod WinderTP
Survival Games Sean Murray says No Man's Sky's peak was seeing the team "just meshing together"
 
 
PS5 Pro
Games Sony ending PlayStation discs "was always going to happen," says analyst
 
 
Screenshot from Kingdom Hearts 4's Coco trailer, showing ghostly see-through versions of Donald Duck and Goofy standing in a modern day city.
Kingdom Hearts Kingdom Hearts 4's Paper Mario-style Mickey Mouse sections are "very different from Sora's"
 
 
Sadie Sink in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Jean Grey making her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day "came out of the story," says Marvel boss Kevin Feige
 
 
MJ and Peter Parker swinging through New York in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Kevin Feige says they knew they couldn't make Brand New Day "bigger" than No Way Home, so they went "deeper"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Lanterns
    1
    Lanterns reveals its surprising place on the DCU timeline
  2. 2
    Lanterns' huge twist puts a daring new spin on a notoriously tricky franchise
  3. 3
    Every Green Lantern mentioned in Lanterns so far
  4. 4
    Who killed Hal Jordan in Lanterns – the prime suspects
  5. 5
    GTA 4 producer Leslie Benzies wanted NPCs "to have their own lives," former Rockstar lead says, but "it ended up being so problematic" and didn't "really matter that much"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...