Valve's latest trademark application is our biggest clue yet that a new Counter-Strike may be on the way

A new trademark filing gives us the strongest hint yet that Counter-Strike 2 could be on the way.

A couple of weeks back, we reported that it looked like a new version of CS:GO – possibly called Counter-Strike 2 – was in development. And while there was no formal word from Valve, Steam, or anyone else for that matter, several prominent leakers and a journalist stepped up to report that "a new version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is on its way", saying it is "almost certainly set to be released under the working title of Counter-Strike 2".

And now the rumours seem even more likely after PCGN spotted that Valve Corporation recently filed a US trademark application for "CS2".

Valve seemingly submitted the claim on 14th March, and is currently awaiting the verdict of an "examining attorney" to decide whether the trademark application will be approved.

That's not even the most interesting part of the filing, though. The fresh application refers to two "related properties" that already have trademark approval, and whilst the IPs aren't detailed, we are given two registration numbers: 5857738 and 5857740. And guess what? They refer explicitly to trademarks for Counter-Strike and CS:GO.

Right now, the jury's still out on whether this is a CSGO Source 2 instalment or a full Counter-Strike 2, but as always, we'll let you know just as soon as we get any further information. Either way, it's an exciting time to be a CS fan.

It's not as if Counter-Strike's appeal is waning, either; CS:GO has broken its own concurrent user records several times in the last few weeks… 11 years after it launched on Steam.