Counter-Strike 2 Moves to Max 12 Rounds Per Half

Instead of CS:GO's maximum of 15 rounds per half that Counter-Strike players have been accustomed to for over two decades, Valve has announced that Counter-Strike 2 will have a maximum of 12 rounds per half.

In a blog post on 1 September 2013, Valve announced this huge change for Counter-Strike 2 esports, which was previously not the case during the Limited Test phase. Here's what we know so far.

Counter-Strike 2 MR12 Change Explained

In a CS2 blog post, under the "Time Saving" section, Valve announced the max rounds per half (MR12) change available for testing thanks to a huge Counter-Strike 2 update.

This change is implemented in Premier Mode, Competitive, and CS2 Majors. While not confirmed with the various tournament organizers, generally, they stick to the same match rules as Counter-Strike Major Championships.

Valve explains why they made this huge change, which will see 24 rounds in regulation instead of 30:

Over the past decade, we’ve shipped updates to the economy and weapon balance to trim the fat and reduce the number of uncontested rounds in a match of CS.

Because of these changes, exciting competitive matches can be resolved with fewer rounds. And shorter matches mean players can play more, and more often.

To make it clear, teams will swap sides after 12 rounds are played, and the match ends after 24 rounds of play. This is for regulation time, and there will still be overtime with the standard six additional rounds in case of a tie, which continue until one team wins.

While not everyone is happy with the max rounds per half change in CS2, Valve is excited about the future and what happens next, stating: 

We expect the structure and flow of matches to evolve over time as the community adapts. And we’re excited to see where they go next.

In the same update, Valve officially announced the leaked Premier Mode, Leaderboards, CS Rating and unleashed an overhauled Inferno.

In case you missed it, check out the latest Counter-Strike 2 video below, entitled "Going Global."

So there you have it; starting with Counter-Strike 2, players in Competitive, Premier, and esports tournaments will compete in a maximum of 12 rounds per half! Only time will tell if this is a great change or not...