How to Watch FaceIt Demos in CS2?

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If you’re grinding Counter-Strike 2 on FACEIT, watching your demos is one of the best ways to improve. But unlike in CS:GO, where demo playback was straightforward, CS2 makes things a bit trickier. If you’re wondering how to watch FACEIT demos in CS2, here’s how I do it.

Step 1: Download the Demo from FACEIT

First, you need the demo file. Here’s how to get it:

  1. Go to FACEIT’s website and log in.
  2. Click on your match history (under the “Matches” tab).
  3. Select the match you want to review.
  4. Scroll down and look for the “Download GOTV Demo” button.
  5. Download the .dem file to your PC.

Also Check: CS2 Skin Inspect Server

Step 2: Move the Demo to the Right Folder

CS2 doesn’t let you open demos from anywhere—you need to place the file in the correct directory.

  1. Find your CS2 game folder. It’s usually located at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo
  2. Move the .dem file into the csgo folder.

Step 3: Open the Demo in CS2

extracting Demos FaceIT
via FaceIT

Now it’s time to load up the demo in-game.

  1. Launch CS2 and open the console (~ key).
    • If the console isn’t enabled, go to Settings > Game > Enable Developer Console and turn it on.
  2. In the console, type: playdemo your_demo_name Replace your_demo_name with the actual name of the .dem file (don’t include .dem in the command).

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Demo Playback Controls in CS2

Unlike CS:GO’s full demo UI, CS2 is currently lacking proper controls. You’ll have to use console commands to navigate:

  • Pause/Resumedemo_pause / demo_resume
  • Speed Up / Slow Downdemo_timescale X (e.g., demo_timescale 2 for 2x speed)
  • Skip Forwarddemo_gototick X (replace X with a tick number)

There’s no easy fast-forward or rewind (yet), so skipping through demos can be a pain.

Alternative => Use FACEIT Highlights

FACEIT Highlights

If you just want to review key moments without watching the whole demo, FACEIT’s Matchroom Highlights can help:

  1. Go to your match page on FACEIT.
  2. Click on Highlights to view key moments automatically clipped from your game.

It’s not as detailed as watching the full demo, but it’s a quick way to analyze your performance.

Also Check: Best CS2 Knife Animations

Final Thoughts

FACEIT demos in CS2 aren’t as easy to watch as they were in CS:GO, but with a little setup, you can still review your matches. Hopefully, Valve adds better demo tools soon, but until then, this method works.

Want to skip the hassle? Just record your games with OBS—it’s a solid backup while we wait for better demo support in CS2.

FAQs

How to play FACEIT demos in CS2?

To play a FACEIT demo in CS2, download the .dem file from your match page on the FACEIT website. Move it to your CS2 game folder (steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/csgo), then launch CS2 and open the console. Type playdemo demo_name (without .dem) to start playback.

How to view demos in CS2?

CS2’s demo system is limited compared to CS:GO. To watch a demo, place the .dem file in your csgo folder, open CS2, enable the console, and use the command playdemo demo_name. There’s no built-in UI for playback, so you’ll need console commands like demo_pause, demo_timescale X, and demo_gototick X to navigate.

How to watch specific rounds in CS2?

CS2 doesn’t have a round-skip feature, so you have to manually jump using ticks. First, play the demo with playdemo demo_name, then use demo_gototick X to skip to a specific moment. If you don’t know the exact tick, you may need to fast-forward using demo_timescale X and pause when you reach the right round.

How to spectate FACEIT games?

FACEIT doesn’t allow live spectating of ongoing matches unless you’re in a tournament with an official spectator slot. However, you can watch a completed match by downloading the GOTV demo from your match history and playing it in CS2 using the playdemo command.

Posted by
William Westerlund

William is an author, editor, and an avid gamer with over 10.000 hours in CS:GO (Counter-Strike 2). He also enjoys playing Rust, Dota 2, and TF2 but never became a top 1% player in any of those games.

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