Valve dropped a beta build for CS2 on April 1st, and for once the timing isn't a joke. According to the official Steam patch notes, the update migrates CS2's animation system to Animgraph 2, with the stated goal of cutting CPU and networking overhead tied to animation processing.
The bigger story for most players will be the third-person animations. Valve says every single one has been re-authored, and many have been adjusted directly in response to player feedback. That's not a small undertaking. Third-person animations in CS2 have been a consistent complaint since launch, so if these changes land well, this is the kind of fix the community has been waiting on for a while.
This is a beta build, so expect rough edges. That said, the scope here is significant. A full animation system overhaul touches everything from how peeking reads to how movement feels to watch on the enemy side of a replay. Worth getting hands-on with before it goes live.
Full patch notes below.
Today we're shipping a beta build that updates CS2's animation system to Animgraph 2, which reduces the CPU and networking costs associated with animation. Along with the technical work involved in switching to the new system, all third person animations have been re-authored and, in many cases, adjusted in response to player feedback.
It's time for you to take a look, poke around for bugs, and tell us what you think. To opt into the beta build, follow the instructions here and choose the 'animgraph_2_beta' build. Note that you will not be able to connect to Valve servers while you are using the beta build.
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