Exactly when we'll get 2 still appears to be at the mercy of Vivendi and Valve's respective lawyers currently, however with an exclusive review in Gamer now hitting streets stateside, and a final release candidate awaiting 'gold' approval. We're secretly optimistic it might not be too long now. As if to tantalisingly imply this, phase five of the Half-Life 2 preload over commenced yesterday, with users beginning to download "the majority of Counter-Strike: Source in encrypted form."

The new CS is a revamped version of the original spiced with Valve's delectable Source engine (from Half-Life 2). The new CS will be available to Half-Life 2 purchasers both on and off line. Of course, even once the entire product is 'pre-loaded', gamers could still have a wait, as purchase is necessary to activate the title. More on this as we get it, including an imminent release date, we hope.

By Luke Guttridge