As noted on the Steam website, updates for Counter-Strike: Source and the Source engine are now available. Among other things it fixes issues like "Equipping the silencer is canceled if the player switches weapons", "Fixed the Five-Seven's price not matching the value in the buy menu" and "Flashbang effect can't be reduced by hitting escape or turning off the HUD".

Valve sends along an email announcing that a Counter-Strike: Source bot is being released on Monday. You can also look forward to a new release of the map de_tides.

The official Counter-Strike Bot will be released for Counter-Strike: Source on Monday (January 17th). The Bot features enhanced abilities and will be available for all owners of Counter-Strike: Source. Also included in Monday's release is an updated version de_tides, rebuilt by Turtlerock Studios. For more information or to purchase your copy of Counter-Strike: Source, please visit www.steampowered.com.

CS-Nation has a comment from Valve's Erik Johnson, who tells us what to expect update wise when it comes to Counter-Strike: Source. More maps, updated player models, it's all coming.

We're working on porting some more of the classic maps right now, currently de_prodigy is in the works. We'll be releasing this as quickly as they are completed.

We're also working on one original map, which will begin internal playtesting this week. This still means we have a fair amount of work to do on it.

We're also working on two updated player models.

Most of this is scheduled to be released in the December timeframe.

Another Counter-Strike: Source update has been released, fixing some more name exploit bugs. The game will auto-update when you launch.

The Steam Powered website notes that another Counter-Strike: Source updated has been released. This new patch fixes the annoying %n exploit crash, and also takes care of grenade stacking and smoke grenades getting stuck and never detonating.

A small but important update for Counter-Strike: Source has released as noted on the Steam website, fixing the rcon packet exploit. Steam will update itself automatically when you restart, servers will need to be restarted.

FiringSquad has fired up another Counter-Strike: Source beta performance article. This time they take a look at how 15 different sub-$200 videocards perform.

Another day, another Counter-Strike: Source beta update. Today's patch fixes the skywalking exploit, updates weapon sounds and textures, and also takes care of some DX8 and anti-aliasing rendering issues among other things.

Some more Counter-Strike: Source beta screenshots and impressions are available at Telefragged , Game2XS , GamersHell , Computergames.ro , Gengamers , and HomeLAN.

As promised, here are some pics+divx (ok, WMV actually) from the Counter-Strike: Source beta which will be opening to Condition Zero owners and ATI coupon holders soon. You can also read some beta impressions as posted in the comments here.

- DE_Dust fly-through movie.
- DE_Dust Gameplay Movie #1.
- DE_Dust Gameplay Movie #2.
- Screenshots.

Computer & Video Games has posted a Q&A with Valve's Doug Lombardi and Jess Cliffe, asking them all about Counter-Strike: Source.

Well it looks like Counter-Strike: Source is becoming a reality a little sooner than the pessimists expected after the delay announced a little while ago. Here is word from Valve:

Counter-Strike: Source Beta Pre-Loading to Cyber Cafes
 
Pre-loading of the Counter-Strike: Source Beta to cyber cafes begins today. On Wednesday, this first phase of the beta will open and the game will be playable at all cyber cafes that subscribe to the Valve Cyber Cafe Program. Later this month, the beta will be extended to owners of Counter-Strike(tm): Condition Zero(tm) and ATI Fulfillment Coupon holders.

This beta serves as a compatibility test of the Source engine as we near completion of development on Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. During this limited-time beta, issues can be reported using the in-game bug-reporting tool. In addition any crashes will automatically generate a report back to Valve's bug database. We thank everyone for their participation, and we hope Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source live up to your expectations.

PC.IGN is the latest site to take a look at Counter-Strike: Source, offering brief DE_Dust remake impressions. Beta testing of CS: Source should start some time this month.

There's a Counter-Strike: Source article on 1UP, offering early beta impressions of the Half-Life 2 engine powered version of the game which was shown at G4's G-Phoria award show. GameSpot also has a new preview despite looking at the game only a few days ago.

There's a Counter-Strike: Source preview on GameSpot, offering pre-beta impressions of the Half-Life 2 engine powered version of the game. New media is included.

A very high resolution (1024x768) Counter-Strike: Source movie is now available, showing two minutes of ingame footage first shown during E3 2004. The Source Engine powered version of Counter-Strike will ship with Half-Life 2 and will also be available stand-alone through Steam later this year.

CSNation has posted a Counter-Strike: Source Q&A, asking Jess Cliffe of Valve Software about the Half-Life 2 engine port of the gaming classic. Among other things, Cliffe confirms that Counter-Strike: Source is the only multiplayer game shipping with Half-Life 2.

CS-Nation: What changes have been made to the maps ported to CS: Source?
Jess Cliffe of Valve Software: The texture resolution for maps has quadrupled. We can now also add a 3D skybox so maps can look as though they span miles. This serves to make levels less like an arena and more like a realistic location. In addition, designers have the flexibility to specify whether a prop is static, physics, or client side debris. We can also take advantage of features such as normal mapping and specularity in order to give textures extra depth and reflectivity.

There is a hands-on preview of CS: Source on CSNation as well.

We received a brief email from Valve Software, announcing that "limited-time" beta testing of Counter-Strike: Source will start later this summer through Steam.

The beta will first be open to subscribers of the Valve Cybercafe Program, and then extended to owners of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. The next installment of the world's number 1 online action game, Counter-Strike: Source blends CS's intense teamplay with the advanced technology of Valve's Source engine. For more information, please visit www.steampowered.com.

CS-Nation has some Counter-Strike: Source impressions, posted by one of their readers. The Half-Life 2 engine powered version of the game is being shown off at a special event in South Korea. There's also media here.

Well we just got back from the HL2 show and there are a few things to note that I'll put in courier just to annoy everyone:

- Half-Life 2 multiplayer is Counter-Strike on the Source engine and will be available at the same time as when Half-Life 2 ships. Counter-Strike gameplay doesn't seem to have changed much, if at all. Graphics of course, are much improved.
- Half-Life 1 is also ported over to the Source engine and will be available at the same time as when Half-Life 2 ships.
- During the presentation, Gabe Newell reiterated that Half-Life 2 is shipping this summer, although no specific date was given.
- Team Fortress 2 was not mentioned at all.

We have also gotten some footage of Counter-Strike running on the Source engine that will be available on FileShack later this evening.