Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gets lighting and shader upgrades

Valve has given its long-running shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a new lick of paint, detailing how and why it implemented the changes on the Counter-Strike blog. 

The changes have been made alongside the introduction of the new Operation Wildfire expansion and de_nuke update, and significantly improve the game's lighting and shaders. 

Getting technical, some of the most talked about upgrades include new displacement surface lighting, allowing for smooth, accurate shadows; and cascade shadow maps, which are dynamic, real-time shadows that can interact with pre-computed lighting.

Valve has also added anisotropic reflection emulation, a feature that creates accurate reflections on wet or shiny surfaces; and drop shadows and highlights, which will help add depth to flat surfaces and wall textures. 

There are more updates than we could possibly list here, but you can check out the full list, take a look at some interesting before-and-after shots, and find out how to enable the new features over on the Counter-Strike blog.