Harry 
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Good evening! You’ve probably heard by now that Valve is offering private invites to test their new game, *Counter-Strike 2*. It’s a remake of *CS: GO*, running on the long-anticipated *Source 2* engine that we’ve been hearing about for over a decade. Big streamers and YouTubers are already diving into the game’s mechanics and quirks, sharing their first impressions online.
While this is exciting, it’s left some fans feeling a bit left out—especially if they aren’t famous streamers or particularly interested in *Counter-Strike*. Right now, the only other *Source 2* title is *Half-Life: Alyx*, but that requires an expensive VR setup, making it less accessible.
That aside, the fact that the *Source 2* era has finally arrived is thrilling. When I first heard the news, I eagerly launched *CS: GO*, hoping I’d get an invite. Sadly, I didn’t get early access to *Counter-Strike 2*, but something else amazing happened. I recently got access to early versions of *Team Fortress 2*, *Portal*, and *Half-Life*, all running on *Source 2*. How, you ask? Thanks to the work of Gary Newman, the creator of *Garry’s Mod*.
Since 2015, Gary has been developing a game creation platform called *Sandbox*, which has been running on *Source 2* since 2020. Recently, Gary gave me early access, meaning I now have the chance to play private *Source 2* versions of classic Valve games, and I’m excited to share them with you in this video.
Let’s start with *Team Fortress 2*, one of the most beloved multiplayer FPS games of all time, even though it has started to show its age. Despite maintaining a daily player base of over 70,000, it suffers from poor performance and a rampant cheating problem. For years, fans have dreamed of a *Source 2* port reviving the game, and now, that dream is coming closer to reality.
Amper Software, a small team of developers, has been working on a *Source 2* version of *TF2*, and it’s shaping up to be something special. The classes, mechanics, and iconic maps have been rebuilt from the ground up, taking advantage of *Source 2’s* improved lighting and rendering technology. The game is fully functional, though there are some rough edges, like confusing UIs and certain missing features. However, for a fan-made project, it’s incredibly impressive, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Next up is *Portal*, one of the most iconic puzzle games ever made. *Portal* is known for pushing hardware limits, so the idea of it running on *Source 2* is exciting. Valve gave us a taste of this last year with *Aperture Desk Job*, a short tech demo to showcase the Steam Deck, but it wasn’t a true *Portal* game. Enter *Quantabox*, a fan-made project on *Sandbox* that brings the mechanics and feel of *Portal* into the *Source 2* engine. It’s still in heavy development and has some bugs, but the potential is huge, especially for fans who want to create their own *Portal*-style levels.
Finally, we have *Half-Life*. The *Half-Life* series is legendary for revolutionizing first-person shooters, and many have dreamed of a *Half-Life 3* running on *Source 2*. While *Half-Life: Alyx* was incredible, it’s limited to VR, so not everyone has had the chance to experience it. Now, thanks to *Half-Life Source 2*, you can play the original *Half-Life* campaign and its multiplayer deathmatch mode on the new engine. This isn’t a remake; it’s a direct port, so while the gameplay is mostly unchanged, the lighting and visuals have been significantly upgraded. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s fascinating to see what *Source 2* can do with a classic like *Half-Life*.
So, what’s the takeaway? *Source 2* is a powerful engine with tons of potential, and it’s exciting to see how fan projects like these are pushing the boundaries. While these ports aren’t perfect yet and there’s still a lot of work to be done, they show just how much the modding community can achieve. Who knows what we’ll see in the future when *Sandbox* and other tools become more widely available?
