Beginners' CS2 Guide: 8 Useful Hints and Techniques

CS2 is a straightforward game to pick up but, indeed, requires a lifetime of dedication to excel. If you're brand new to the game, it won't take long for you to grasp the rules (plant bomb—defend bomb), but you might initially struggle with your aim. In our CS2 Guide for Beginners, we will provide comprehensive instruction to help you begin your journey.

In order to avoid overwhelming players with an excessive amount of information, we have chosen to provide a concise guide consisting of just eight tips. These tips can be easily implemented into your own game without much delay. CS2 is a game with a vast amount of content and intricacies that can fill entire books. It boasts an impressively high skill ceiling, but we have pinpointed the most prevalent mistakes made by novice players. By reading and implementing the knowledge shared in this guide, you will quickly progress and improve your ranking.

Ensure Your Settings Are Properly Configured

First and foremost, it is crucial to ensure that your game does not disadvantage you. Therefore, before immersing yourself in any competitive shooter, it is essential to fine-tune the settings to optimize the game's performance. This applies to CS2 as well. 

Discover Effective Techniques for Countering Enemy Movement and Maintaining Stability While Firing

An essential distinction between CS2 and other less formal shooters is that your weapon will not be precise while you are in motion and shooting. In CS2, it is imperative to maintain a stationary position while engaging in combat in order to maximize your chances of successfully striking down your adversaries.

It is essential to halt completely before engaging an adversary in combat. Experienced players employ a technique known as counter-strafing to quickly come to a halt instead of relying solely on releasing the movement keys, as this can take some time.

How to Do It

Just press the opposite movement key. For instance, if you're observing an angle by pressing down on D, release D, swiftly tap A (the opposite movement key), and immediately let go. This results in your character countering the movement, causing you to come to a halt much more rapidly.

Due to the mechanics of movement in CS2, it is not advisable to move diagonally when anticipating an enemy. This is because it requires pressing two opposing keys simultaneously to effectively counter-strafe. Undoubtedly, this task poses a greater level of complexity compared to simply pressing a single key.

To master this technique, you can try it out on a practice server. Access the practice server by navigating to the 'Play' tab, then selecting 'Practice' and 'Competitive'. Once there, enable Infinite Ammo and Infinite Warmup on the left side of the screen to join an empty server. Alternatively, you can also improve your skills by participating in a death match. Mastering the art of counter-strafing is an essential component in becoming a skilled CS2 player, so you must acquire this skill.

Master the Kickback Tendencies of the Primary Firearms

Each firearm in CS2 possesses its own distinct recoil pattern. Once you begin spraying, the firearm will discharge, and your projectiles may not hit precisely where your crosshair is aimed. The image above illustrates this. The arrangement of the projectiles on the right side signifies the initiation of the M4A4 spray pattern. To ensure that your bullets remain centered, it is crucial to counterbalance the spray pattern of the firearm you are using by adjusting your mouse movements accordingly.

Mastering the spray patterns of the primary rifles and your preferred SMGs is crucial for survival in mid-close-range combat. Without this knowledge, you'll find yourself at a severe disadvantage.

How to Do It

The spray patterns in CS2 are not haphazard. There may be slight deviations in the precise impact points of the bullets, but with practice, one can become familiar with the spray patterns. Numerous images available online showcase the spray patterns of the main guns. It would be beneficial to display these images on a secondary monitor, laptop, or phone or even print them out. By doing so, you can effectively enhance your skills by joining a practice or deathmatch server and mastering the art of compensating.

Stay in Touch With Your Colleagues

Effective communication in CS2 is essential. In this game, a well-placed shot to the head can completely disrupt a round and lead to a series of rounds where your team has to make do with less-than-ideal equipment. Therefore, you must communicate effectively. Participating in a competitive CS2 match without a microphone is highly discouraged, so it is essential to ensure that your voice is audible and that you communicate effectively when needed.

How to Do It

Please raise your voice. It is crucial to highlight the locations of adversaries and their armaments, along with any significant sounds. However, feel free to collaborate with your team and devise strategic maneuvers.

First tip: Ensure that your communications are concise and straightforward. While it may be tempting to express frustration with strong language when experiencing a frustrating death, it is crucial to prioritize conveying important information instead. When faced with an unseen adversary lurking on a bomb site, the importance of providing a concise and unmistakable callout cannot be overstated. This small action has the potential to determine the outcome of the round, potentially saving your team from being completely decimated by an unseen foe.

Instead of 'Oh my goodness, what a silly camper! There is another adversary that you should refer to as "second oranges." Please refrain from expressing your frustrations in the team chat. Instead, you can choose to vent your emotions after the round has concluded.

Tip 2: Avoid being an overly controlling observer in gaming. When someone is in a clutch situation (trying to win a 1vx scenario), it's essential not to be the gamer who micromanages their every move as if you're playing a game with voice commands. Highlight crucial details, such as the locations where the last sightings occurred, while refraining from using the microphone for any other purposes.

Tip 3: Ensure you have complete certainty. It is essential to indicate clearly when you are engaging in speculation. If you believe you have spotted a potential adversary in a specific location, it is necessary to communicate to your teammates that you are still determining your observation. Absolutely refrain from making random guesses, particularly in critical situations. Incorrectly calling out can completely devastate matches.

Discover the Intricacies of Maps and Familiarize Yourself With Important Map Callouts

As mentioned earlier, effective communication and collaboration are essential in CS2. If you need more sense of direction on a particular map, it is advisable to refrain from participating in any highly competitive environment. Understanding the critical map callouts is crucial for effective communication with your teammates.

How to Do It

Please take a look at an image displaying the map callouts and explore the map in practice mode to familiarize yourself with its overall layout. Once you have a decent grasp of the map, you can progress to trying out different game modes and picking up the callouts along the way.

Engaging in deathmatch is an excellent method to familiarize oneself with the various angles and approaches within maps, as it presents numerous opportunities for encounters.

Purchase and Utilize (Avoid Squandering!) Usefulness

Many inexperienced players need to recognize the true potential of grenades, commonly referred to as 'utility,' in CS2. In the lower ranks, numerous players need to purchase grenades, which is a significant error. Strategically deploying a Molotov can completely disrupt enemy advances, while a cleverly executed popflash can secure an easy elimination. If you possess the funds, it is advisable to invest in practicality consistently.

Furthermore, it is essential to remember the timeless saying: avoid being a failure; invest in a defuser. If you don't have a lot of money, there's no need for everyone on your team to purchase a defuse kit. You can always pick one up from a fallen teammate. Two utility pouches on the ground represent it. However, it's unfortunate that many rounds have been lost because none of the CT players bothered to buy a kit.

How to Do It

Feel free to utilize your utility early in the game. A popular strategy as a CT is to throw a HE grenade at the bottom of the banana on Inferno to gain map control. Occasionally, this may inflict harm upon an adversary, while other times, it may not. Take your time with the ideal opportunity to unleash your grenades, as this will frequently result in you simply retaining them. A high-explosive grenade that inflicts 10 points of damage proves to be significantly more valuable compared to an unexploded high-explosive grenade that remains in close proximity to your corpse.

However, there is another perspective to consider. Be mindful of how you handle your utility. Many less experienced players tend to haphazardly toss their grenades without much thought during a (counter)push. At its most favorable, this can be a source of frustration for your teammates; at its most unfavorable, your haphazard Molotov inadvertently obstructed your teammate's path to the site.

Mastering the art of timing your grenades is essential. Launching a blinding projectile across a pair of barriers towards the general vicinity of the opposing team at the commencement of the round may momentarily impair an adversary's vision, albeit only for a brief moment. However, these explosives will not prove particularly advantageous in the grand scheme of things, as your allies will likely be too distant to exploit any potential benefits you may have derived from them, and the enemy is only just beginning to establish their position.

Mastering the art of utilizing grenades in CS2 requires its own unique set of skills. There are no definitive guidelines to improve your utility usage, but it is crucial to remain aware of your available resources and employ them responsibly.

Discover a Couple of Valuable Smoke Strategies for Each Map

Cigarettes are the key to a victorious CS2 round. Regardless of how you look at it, any competent player understands the importance of knowing a few fundamental smokes for each map in the active map pool. If you aspire to be a dependable teammate, incorporate some smokes into your repertoire. Strategically deploying smoke grenades can significantly benefit your team and provide a significant advantage.

How to Do It

There is a thriving online community focused on discovering the most up-to-date and exceptional grenade strategies. By searching for informative guides on platforms like YouTube or other websites, you can make significant progress in your understanding. Discovering and honing smoke lineups can be a delightful and immersive experience. By dedicating just a few minutes each day to mastering and rehearsing smoke lineups, you'll quickly accumulate a vast repertoire of new ones within a week. Your colleagues will express their gratitude.

If you want to try out grenades on your own, launch a practice map by going to 'Play' -> 'Practice' -> 'Competitive'. Next, choose the map you wish to practice on and enable Grenade Camera, Unlimited Ammo, and Endless Warmup. 

Pay Attention to Your Team's Finances and Coordinate Purchases

Matches in CS2 have a shorter duration compared to matches in CS:GO. The team that reaches 13 rounds first emerges as the ultimate victor, highlighting the significance of managing the economy, which can be considered even more crucial than ever before. Avoid being the gamer who consistently makes complete purchases when the team decides to go for an eco round, as this can severely disrupt the outcome of matches. Additionally, it needs to reflect better on your ability to work effectively within a team.

How to Do It

Communicate with your fellow team members. When finances are limited, inquire about their strategy. At the beginning of each round, you have the opportunity to view your teammates' purchases at the top of the screen (the weapon icons) and on the buy menu (the colored dots indicate what your teammates currently have). Therefore, there is no valid reason to go solo in this aspect. 

In Summary

CS2 can be daunting for players, making it challenging to navigate through the initial stages, where many beginners find themselves stuck. The suggestions mentioned above may only encompass some aspects (as it is impossible for a single article to encompass everything about a complex game like CS2). Still, if implemented correctly, they will significantly enhance your skills as a Counter-Strike 2 player.

Instead of trying to tackle all of these suggestions simultaneously, utilize this CS2 guide to pinpoint areas where you may need improvement. Alternatively, you can work through the list gradually as you engage in your daily or weekly gaming sessions. It's not advisable to try to tackle everything at a time. Instead, break down this guide into smaller, manageable sections. By doing so, you'll notice significant improvement in a short amount of time.