I’ve played Counter-Strike for over 20 years, here are 10 things I want fixed in CS2
Valve announced Counter-Strike 2 at the beginning of the year, and I, like millions of gamers, was excited to see the new chapter of this historic franchise unfold. That time came on September 27, 2023, with the shutdown of all CS:GO servers and the release of CS2. Everything that I had in CS:GO transferred automatically to CS2, even the crosshair.
As much as I wanted to love it from the get-go, at this point, CS2 is not as refined as CS:GO. That was to be expected for a new release, but there are a lot of tweaks that would make the game feel as smooth as its predecessor. I’ve played for over 20 years, and these are 10 things I want fixed in CS2.
Spray control
Spray patterns in CS2 are terrible.
Valve
Right now, spray control is awful. If you miss your first burst of 5 bullets, you better start praying to the CS gods, as your shots won’t go where you are used to in CS:GO – I’d argue CS2's spray patterns make it feel more like Valorant. Many professional gamers have expressed their frustration with this, but hopefully, it will be fixed very soon.
Movement
Movement in CS2 still doesn't feel right, and bunny hopping is much harder to pull off.
Valve
When playing CS2, I feel like my character is wearing the heaviest ankle weights possible, and can barely move. Bunny hop is almost impossible to pull off, as I get stuck after my first jump. CS:GO was the definition of perfect mobility for a shooter, but now it doesn’t feel right. Using the command “sv_jump_spam_penalty_time 0.0117” in private servers can fix most of the problems, so I think this will be an easy one to patch.
Sound
CS2 sound needs more work to bring it back to CS:GO's level.
Valve
Another big issue with the game right now is audio. The ambient sound is too loud, and don’t even get me started on directional sound. On maps with vertical levels, I feel as if everyone is walking right next to me. Valve has started patching and improving sound, but we are still far away from hearing things the right way and not being overwhelmed by all the noise.
Left hand
CS2 doesn't offer left-handed view, so players who are used to it, are now stuck with a right hand model.
Valve
I know this doesn’t sound like a big problem, but for a player who has used left-handed view for more than 20 years, it just feels uncomfortable. I’m so used to that perspective that when doing a flick, I know exactly where my crosshair position should be, but my placement in CS2 is off now. Not to mention left-handed players who would prefer a view model that matches their dominant hand in real life.
Maps
Bringing classics like Italy is nice, but CS:GO staples, such as Cobblestone and Cache, are missing from CS2's map pool.
Valve
I was hoping to have the full map pool at launch, but Valve prioritized competitive maps and some old classics like Office and Italy. Maps such as Cache, Train, and Cobblestone are still missing – and some of those are fan favorites. Nevertheless, the maps are beautiful and well-lit – no more camouflaged CTs around corners.
Game modes
CS2 needs some casual fun modes like CS:GO's War Games.
Valve
Personally, I like to play more competitive modes, but from time to time, I'd enjoy some Flying Scoutsman and Retakes with my buddies. We'd have some laughs and then move to 5v5, but right now, these modes are missing, and for casual players this is likely an even bigger problem. Apart from the two modes above, Danger Zone, Arms Race, and Demolition are also missing.
Net_graph 1
The net_graph 1 console command has been removed from CS2.
Valve
This was a console command that gives you info about how well the game is running. I could see if I had fps drops, ping, loss, and check the tick rate of the server. The new sub-tick technology may have made the latter irrelevant, but it would still be nice to know the places where my framerate drops. Is Valve hiding something from us with the removal of net_graph 1?
Mouse acceleration
Many players used mouse acceleration in CS:GO, and not having the option in CS2 is quite the bummer.
Valve
This is a function that controls the speed at which the cursor moves across the screen, and it's missing in CS2. I have some friends who use this command, and not having it makes the game so much harder for them.
Performance
CS2's performance still leaves much to be desired.
Valve
I’m sure that this will be fixed eventually, but right now, I can feel the frame drops when there are too many grenades and players shooting in the same area of the map. It just feels inconsistent, and it takes away the fun when you can’t see what’s happening around you.
Knowledge
As maps have been revamped in CS2, prior CS:GO knowledge is of little help.
Valve
I have been griding for years in CS:GO, and getting to know all the lineups for smokes, flashes, and mollys in our map pool took so much time. Yet now, with the release of CS2, all that knowledge is lost. I have to learn everything from scratch, as the maps have been revamped, and there are no skyboxes. It will take some time, but I'll manage. Looking for new lineups has always been fun for me.
After reading all this, you might think I am disappointed with the game, but it’s quite the opposite – CS2 is a solid game that only needs a couple of tweaks to make it special. I’m sure Valve will listen to the community and fix the issues that are preventing it from being the top first-person shooter once more.
