Finally, it’s official. After a huge leak a few weeks ago, Valve has officially confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 is coming. And it’s coming fast.

On the last full day of Steam’s Spring Sale, Valve suddenly revealed its official plans for Counter-Strike 2. No longer just a rumor, the upcoming title will come this summer as a free upgrade for those who already own Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

As was leaked previously, the title will come with several upgrades to the existing system. While it’s still the same formula underneath, Counter-Strike 2 will look and feel better than previous titles.

For one, smokes are now volumetric objects, meaning they can react to gameplay events naturally. If you shoot through smoke, the bullets can push a visible hole through the cloud. It will also fill spaces around objects more naturally.

The game will also feature graphical upgrades to the old titles. Classic maps have refreshed designs with better lighting, more realistic textures, and better reflections. Dust II, or de_dust2, looks absolutely amazing in its upcoming iteration. Smaller elements — such as UI and throwable effects — are also improved.

In terms of performance, Counter-Strike 2 is apparently going beyond tick rates. Though the previous leak hinted that the title might upgrade its servers to compete with modern shooters like VALORANT, the official update introduced “sub-tick updates,” a new engine which will supposedly make tick rates obsolete and gameplay more fluid.

Now, if you can’t wait for summer, the upgrade is already available today in a limited test. Valve will also release more updates for the game before it launches in a few months.

SEE ALSO: Counter-Strike 2 potentially ready for release soon

For a good number of PC users, there just isn’t enough space for a huge monitor. An emerging category of devices is making things easier for those with problems of space. Nreal, a company that makes augmented-reality glasses, can project an ultra-wide image straight onto the lenses of its wearables for the user. Now, the company has announced that it will support Windows in the coming future.

Announced during the Game Developers Conference 2023, Nreal announced Nebula for Windows. Complementing the company’s wearables, Nebula for Windows will allow users to connect their glasses to their PC. Users can project a virtual ultra-wide screen right in front of them. They can upgrade their 16:9 screen into a curved 21:9 screen.

Additionally, users can take advantage of enhanced 3-DoF (or three degrees of freedom) tracking, which can make virtual cockpit games much more immersive than with standard monitors. To showcase this capability and more, Nreal is presenting two sample AR games during the conference. These two games, Nreal Tower and In Wonder will maximize what the company’s products — especially the Light and the Air — can do.

Currently, Nreal has not announced when Nebula for Windows will launch. However, it is still a big boon for gamers who want to upgrade their setup but don’t have the funds or the space to do so.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s AR headset will let users pay with their eyes

EA is a mixed bag nowadays. Formerly one of the biggest names in gaming, the company’s public reception is more varied these days. However, no one can argue against the studio’s earlier eras with more notable titles. Unfortunately, that era is coming to a more definitive close. EA is officially delisting a few notable Battlefield titles and the original Mirror’s Edge from digital stores.

In an official statement from the company, EA has announced the retirement of four online titles this year. Starting April 28, users will no longer be able to buy Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Mirror’s Edge online. Additionally, the online services for these games will cease on December 8.

Still going strong today, the Battlefield franchise is EA’s answer to the Call of Duty franchise. While the latter focuses on more arcade-like shooting, Battlefield tries to infuse more strategic gameplay into historical and modern-day shooting.

On the other hand, Mirror’s Edge is a classic first-person parkour adventure. At the time, the title was notable for its fluid movement and easy-to-read visuals. It even spawned a sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.

Anyone who owns these titles can still play through them after April. However, come December, players can only go through the offline single-player campaigns of these games.

SEE ALSO: Blumhouse is getting into gaming