CS2 Updates: Patch Release Notes | Changelog

This article covers CS2 updates in chronological order. Here’s how Valve is changing the game for the better.

November 14, 2025 – Minor Changes

These are the changes introduced by this CS2 update:

• Fixed the ability to plant C4 while standing on a teammate
• Fixed rendering issues on transparent charms attached to planted C4 or dropped weapons
• Fixed a bug where the Budapest 2025 Coin failed to appear on the scoreboard
• Fixed a replay issue that caused infinite shell casing effects
• Updated the artwork for the Budapest 2025 Imperial Esports sticker

November 13, 2025 – Sticker Slabs

These are the major changes introduced by this CS2 update:

The Budapest 2025 Major

• StarLadder Budapest Major Hub is now available
• Viewer Pass adds an upgradable Budapest 2025 Coin
• Pick’Em Challenge progress upgrades the coin and grants extra souvenir packages
• Active Pass Leaderboard lets you compare Pick’Em performance with friends

Store Changes

• Added the new “Sticker Slab” item for sealing stickers as weapon charms
• Sealed stickers can be recovered by cracking the slab
• Newly purchased Name Tags are no longer marketable or tradable
• Newly purchased StatTrak™ Swap Tools are no longer marketable or tradable

Gameplay Updates

• Maximum effective sv_maxvelocity increased to 16,384 (default remains 3500)
• Fixed misprediction issues with jump inputs
• Fixed misprediction issues with jump apex detection

Map Fixes

• Fixed a skybox issue on Inferno that blocked grenades

Miscellaneous Improvements

• Increased bullet decal rendering distance
• UI and inventory gloves now use Animgraph2 like first-person gloves
• Enabled pulsing light on the C4 view model
• Updated Steam Market and Web Inventory colors to match item quality
• Performance optimizations

November 5, 2025 – TrueView Demos

These are the major changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Gameplay Fixes

• Fixed incorrect air acceleration clamping during surfing.
• Fixed mishandling of slow surfing up ramps misidentified as jump apex.
• Resolved inconsistency in “Delay Sniper Rifle Un-Scope after Shot” feature.

Demo Improvements

• Introduced TrueView demo playback: Reconstructs the observed player’s original experience more accurately via client-side prediction re-run.
• Displays Damage Prediction effects if enabled by the player.
• Limitations: Does not match exact frame timings (e.g., slow motion differences); reaction effects like recoil, muzzle flash, blood, and ragdolls may be delayed 1–2 frames due to CPU/GPU pipelining.
• Disabled by default on version mismatch or old demos; override with cl_demo_predict 2.
• Fixed third-person models not animating smoothly.
• Fixed time lurching forward one tick on demo unpause.

Miscellaneous Changes

• Animation fixes for G3SG1 bolt.
• Fixed developer console scrollbar to accept mouse clicks.

October 30, 2025 – Retakes Polish & Movement Fix

These are the major changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Gameplay – Retakes Loadouts

• M4A1-S or M4A4 now offered randomly if you own both.
• Body Armor added to 4v3, 4 Bad Guys Left, and Blind Fire cards.
• Dual Berettas added to T Blind Fire card.
• CT Enemy Loadout Card: Flashbang → HE Grenade.

Movement & Audio

• Player-vs-player collision prediction is now more accurate.
• Scope in/out sounds play instantly for local player (no more delay).

Visuals & Animations

• Idle animations fixed on CZ75-Auto, SSG 08, AUG, Galil AR.
• Demo playback now ~1:1 with live match fidelity.

October 24, 2025 – Retakes Matchmaking Update

Only a few gameplay changes were introduced in this CS2 update:

Gameplay

• Retakes party size increased to 4 players.
• Fixed wrong spawn point when joining during freeze time.
• Bot manager now prioritizes kicking dead bots, then uncontrolled bots, before human players.

October 23, 2025 – Re-Retakes & Trade-Up Launch

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Gameplay

• Retakes added to official matchmaking (Defusal Group Alpha & Delta maps).
• Fixed Molotov + multiple-smoke decay logic.

Maps

• Golden, Palacio, Rooftop updated to latest Workshop versions.
• Inferno: visibility improved at top of Quad and under Balcony.
• Inferno: various performance optimizations.

Trade-Up Contracts

• 5 StatTrak™ Covert → 1 StatTrak™ Knife (same collection).
• 5 regular Covert → 1 regular Knife or 1 regular Gloves (same collection).

Miscellaneous

• Main-menu & item-inspect UI performance optimized.
• Fixed blurry / missing inventory icons.
• Fixed duplicate server-only sound events.
• General stability improvements.

October 16, 2025 – Quick-Fix Patch

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Miscellaneous

• Fixed incorrect damage numbers in end-of-round report.
• Sharpened King Crasswater and Queen Ava stickers.
• Corrected skin alignment on Driver Gloves and Sport Gloves.
• Fixed crash during playback of certain demo files.
• General stability improvements.

October 15, 2025 – Source 2 Refresh & Defuse Overhaul

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Engine

• Upgraded to latest Source 2 core.
• Bullet penetration simulation rewritten → lower CPU usage.
• Particle & sound effects re-threaded → slightly lower CPU usage during fights.

Gameplay

• Defusing now forces weapon down, blocks scope, adds 150 ms fire delay.
• C4 no longer detonates during halftime or post-match.
• Fixed 1-tick error in sv_predictable_damage_tag_ticks.

UI

• Major Highlight clips playable inside Spectator Loadout.
• Selected player highlighted in Team Counter.
• Inventory context menu follows cursor.
• Weapon-mode icon moved to ammo counter.
• Raindrops auto-removed in dry inspect environments.

Map Scripting

• Enums now importable: CSWeaponType, CSRoundEndReason, CSHitGroup, CSLoadoutSlot, CSDamageTypes, CSDamageFlags, CSWeaponAttackType.
• CSGearSlot.BOOSTS added for healthshots.
• Instance.OnRoundEnd now receives reason.
• Damage callbacks receive & can modify damageType / damageFlags.
• TraceLine / TraceSphere / TraceBox accept entity arrays, hitbox tracing, return hitGroup.
• Instance.BulletTrace returns hitGroup.
• Entity.TakeDamage accepts damageType & damageFlags.
• CSWeaponData.GetGearSlot() added.

October 4, 2025 – Palacio Refresh

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Maps

• Palacio updated to latest Steam Workshop version.
• Transit removed from all official matchmaking pools.

Map Scripting

• Fixed Instance.OnPlayerPing not transmitting position.

October 3, 2025 – Workshop Maps & Sniper Tweaks

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Maps

• Palacio, Rooftop, and Golden updated to latest Community Workshop versions.

Misc

• Adjusted AUG and SG 553 scope dot sizes.
• Added game options for dot scale and sniper scope thickness.
• Added letterbox effect during camera path transitions.
• Fixed bullet penetration regression in specific geometry cases.
• Stability improvements.

Map Scripting

• Fixed old callbacks firing after script reload.
• Fixed new callbacks firing multiple times after reload.
• Restored missing Instance.IsFreezePeriod.
• Fixed Instance.OnGunReload and Instance.OnGunFire for XM1014, Nova, and Sawed-Off.

October 2, 2025 – Charms & Maps Mega-Drop

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Armory

• Added Missing Link Charms (23 community designs).
• Added Dr. Boom Charms (22 explosive designs).
• Added 2025 Community Stickers (29 artworks).
• Added Sugarface 2 Stickers (9 stickers).
• Removed Gallery Case, Graphic Collection, Character Craft stickers.

Gameplay

• C4 deaths now count in scoreboard.
• Zeus-x27 kill-streak bonus capped in Deathmatch.
• Fixed >1 px sniper-scope pixel offset.
• Added visual inaccuracy to sniper scopes.
• Keychains jolt on audible footsteps.

Spectating

• New camera paths follow shortest route on select maps.
• Spectated loadout auto-closes at match end.
• Gloves now show wear & pattern in loadout.

Maps

• Removed Jura, Grail, Dogtown, Brewery from all modes.
• Added Palacio & Golden to Competitive, Casual, Deathmatch.
• Added Rooftop & Transit to Wingman.
• Ancient / Shoots: various player clipping fixes.

Misc

• Minor MAC-10 & R8 Revolver skinning tweaks.
• Fixed crash from missing bullet impacts.
• Added lattice & bend deformers to Hammer.
• Re-enabled train_zoo example content.

Map Scripting

• Improved error handling for wrong this or argument types.
• Faster Vector / QAngle / Color handling.
• Color args clamped to 255.
• New single-object overloads for DebugScreenText, DebugLine, DebugBox, DebugSphere, EntFire*, Teleport.
• All callbacks now use single-parameter objects.

September 26, 2025 – Mirage Ladder & Vulkan Fix

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Misc

• Updated collision box at Mirage top-of-ladder hole.
• Corrected R8 Revolver model geometry and animation scale.
• sv_subtick_movement_view_angles now bundled with other subtick events only.
• Enabled Vulkan memory defragmentation → reduced texture streaming stalls.

September 25, 2025 – Map Scripting Stability Update

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Map Scripting

• Updated script_zoo tsconfig.json → target es2022 for precise type checking.
• point_script entity now survives failed loads; stays inactive in tools mode and watches for edits.
• Fixed crash on invalid script reload in tools mode.
• OnBeforeReload memory now persists across failed reloads.
• String-only methods now throw errors instead of silent toString().
• Instance.Msg & DebugScreenText accept any type.
• RunScriptInput no longer crashes on null caller/activator.
• Removed Instance.OnGameEvent → replaced with per-event registration for API stability.

September 18, 2025 – Genesis Unseal & Script Fixes

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Genesis Collection

• Belgium, Netherlands, France: Sealed Genesis Terminal items now unsealable.
• Fixed purchase errors for 12 currencies: CLP, COP, CRC, IDR, INR, JPY, KRW, KZT, TWD, UAH, UYU, VND.

Items

• Corrected nametag & StatTrak placement on Shadow Daggers.

Map Scripting

• JavaScript added to asset types.
• Fixed Entity.Teleport newAngles type declaration.
• Fixed GetTraceHit crash when config omitted.

Misc

• Subtick movement acceleration now fully timestep-independent.

September 17, 2025 – Genesis Collection & cs_script Launch

Key changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Genesis Collection

• 17 community finishes now live.
• Genesis Uplink Terminal added as weekly drop.

Map Scripting

• cs_script (JavaScript) officially released.
• script_zoo.vmap added as example map.

UI

• Spectators can now inspect any player’s loadout.
• All inspect panels support mousewheel zoom and Shift+drag pan.

Sound

• Unique high-fidelity sounds for every grenade: draw, inspect, pin-pull, throw.

Misc

• Multiple subtick shooting consistency improvements.

August 14, 2025, CS2 Update

Here are the latest changes introduced by Valve in the August 14 CS2 update:

Maps

• Ancient and Shoots: Introduced nighttime variants for both maps.
• Updated all Ancient materials with the latest CS2 shaders and added new material blending options, including wetness and moss effects.
• Included “ancient_zoo.vmap” with assets and blending examples for map creators.

Items

• The Deluge Music Kit Box is now available for purchase in standard and StatTrak variants.
• Added the M4A1-S | Solitude, a new limited-time item, to The Armory.

Animation

• Modified the Sawed-Off Shotgun deploy animation and fixed shell penetration issues during reload.
• Enhanced deploy and quick-inspect animations for all knives, as well as the AK, Galil, AUG, and PP-Bizon.
• Improved deploy animations for the AWP, M4A4, and M4A1-S.
• Updated animations for legacy SSG08 models.
• Eliminated the deploy inspect delay for most weapons.
• Fixed an issue where the XM1014 obstructed the crosshair during reload.

Misc

• Improved rendering performance across most maps.
• Added support for changing rendering resolution and aspect ratio in fullscreen windowed mode.
• Locked fps_max changes while connected to a server.
• Resolved an issue allowing certain weapons to fire prematurely after redeployment.

August 2, 2025, CS2 Update

These are the important changes introduced by this CS2 update:

Resolved an issue where players could inspect a grenade after it had already been primed.

Fixed a bug that stopped the first-person viewmodel from displaying expected lag.

Restored the correct fire particle effect for Molotov cocktails.

Incendiary and smoke grenades now emit the proper sound effects.

Tweaked Molotov audio and fire particle timing in first-person view for better synchronization.

Addressed a bug where the bunny-hopping (bhop) movement penalty would keep increasing even when the jump input wasn’t active.

The bunny-hop jump spam timer now begins as soon as the input is detected, rather than at the end of the subtick where the command is processed.

July 29, 2025, CS2 Update

This update was quite massive and introduced a lot of interesting changes. Here’s what you need to know:

Animation Updates

The animation system is being upgraded to AnimGraph2, requiring a full rework of existing first-person animations.

All first-person animations, including weapon deploy, fire, reload, and inspect, have been replaced.

Chicken animations have also been updated.

Gameplay Changes

Improved damage prediction while moving and shooting.

Shotgun reloads no longer auto-resume after being interrupted.

Fixed several stuck spots on surf maps where players could get trapped in geometry.

Audio Improvements

Fixed an issue where individual voice volume adjustments weren’t working.

Updated weapon reload and draw sounds as part of the animation system overhaul.

Enhanced ambient sound tools for community mappers.

Introduced new speed-based surf sounds:

• Controlled by sv_surf_sounds
• Adjustable via snd_surf_volume_inair, snd_surf_volume_map, snd_surf_volume_slide

Miscellaneous

The Community Server Browser now opens in the Steam Overlay when in full-screen exclusive mode.

Map Updates

Several key maps were modified.

Overpass

• Breakable glass added to B doors
• Adjusted: heaven railing, A-site truck angle, wall behind dumpster at A stairs, dumpster back wall texture, grass near A site, tops of broken walls near B (flattened)
• Re-enabled map wires

Train

• New cover added: A site (near Hell train), B site (outside Z), Upper B halls
• Adjusted: ivy cover, platform heights (raised CT platform at B), lighting on B, clipping across the map
• Removed horizontal stripes on A site’s large doors

Inferno

• Opened church windows above Coffins
• Adjusted church garden path (narrower at entrance, wider near Coffins)
• Modified: first box shape on B, balcony railing on A (now repaired), mid curbs (removed), arch light (moved to ceiling), Banana visuals for better legibility, various props for polish

Dogtown

• Updated to the latest Community Workshop version

July 16, 2025, CS2 Update

On July 16, with IEM Cologne 2025 just one week away, Valve decided to release a very important CS2 update. Here are the most important changes:

• Premier Season 3 has begun.
• Anubis has been replaced by Overpass in the Active Duty Map Pool.
• The fire created by the incendiary grenade spreads more rapidly, giving players less time to react.
• The MP9 was nerfed. Its jumping accuracy is now much lower and its recoil magnitude is greater, making it harder to control.
• In all Competitive modes, the CT side now receives $50 for each terrorist eliminated during a round.
• A new feature was added to protect your items. In the event of a scam, you may reverse all CS2 item trades from the last 7 days. This is likely to result in significant changes to how skin trading is performed.

July 3, 2025, CS2 Update

After the end of the Austin Major, Valve released a new CS2 update that improves team communication, fixes some annoying bugs, and introduces new cosmetics.

Here’s all you need to know about the latest CS2 patch and its modifications:

• Enabled voice chat in the in-game lobby and during the Premier Pick/Ban phase.
• Resolved incorrect command sequences in point_servercommand entities.
• Fixed an issue where community maps failed to reload properly using the “restart” command.
• Buy binds are now blocked during the halftime freeze period.
• Corrected text formatting for scoreboard columns in the Japanese language.
• The Champions Autographs Capsule is now available for purchase, celebrating Team Vitality’s spectacular victory against The MongolZ.
• Highlight Souvenir Packages are now obtainable for the Playoff stage matches.

May 16, 2025 CS2 Update

Key changes introduced by the May 16 update:

Gameplay Changes

Deathmatch mode was updated to allow unbalanced teams, providing more flexibility for casual play and custom server configurations.

Graphics Fixes

Visual issues were addressed, including fire effects being visible through the AK-47 viewmodel and lighting inconsistencies for stickers in left-hand mode. Additionally, a bug causing inventory item icons to render incorrectly while scoped was fixed.

Audio Improvements

The AK-47’s firing sound was shortened at the front end, and the delay for body shot impact sounds from the attacker’s perspective was reduced. These changes enhance auditory feedback during combat.

May 13-14, 2025 CS2 Update

Key changes introduced by the May 13-14 update:

HUD and Visual Updates

A new HUD setting, “Glow Weapon with Rarity Color,” was introduced, enabling weapons to glow based on their rarity, enhancing inventory navigation and in-game recognition.

Furthermore, minimally scraped stickers now properly cover the gap on the front grip of the AK-47, improving the weapon’s aesthetic.

Map Adjustments

Several maps received updates:

• Jura: Fixed unintended clipping and visibility issues; added a missing prop on A site.
• Brewery: Addressed a gap between boxes at CT to Site; fixed bottle smashing in CT Spawn; raised ceiling clips around the upper bombsite level; improved player, grenade, and physics clipping.
• Grail and Dogtown: Updated to the latest versions from the Community Workshop.

Gameplay

This update fixed a bug where weapons bought using “Buy & Throw” could be refunded after firing.

Premier

The world and regional leaderboards for Season 2 have finally been populated.

May 9, 2025 CS2 Update

Key changes introduced by the May 9 update:

Missions and Progression

This update resolved a critical issue where mission progress would reset upon reconnecting to a match, ensuring players’ efforts are preserved during disconnections.

Map Updates

The community-created map Grail received an update from the Community Workshop, incorporating design enhancements and bug fixes to improve gameplay.

Graphics and Audio Enhancements

A visual bug allowing fire effects to be visible through smoke was fixed, restoring intended visual fidelity during gameplay. Additionally, various UI sound bugs were addressed, and overall client stability was improved.

May 8, 2025 CS2 Update

Today, on May 8, 2025, Valve released a fairly significant CS2 update that changes the Casual and Deathmatch map groups.

Some players will now need to think twice before choosing between Defusal Group Alpha and Defusal Group Delta. Each of them contains four frequently played maps but not necessarily the ones you might have in mind.

Map Group Changes

In their latest CS2 update, Valve changed the composition of their map groups.

Defusal Group Alpha Maps

Here are the four maps that you will get to play on if you choose the Defusal Group Alpha option:

• Dust 2
• Mirage
• Inferno
• Vertigo

The first three of these maps are part of the Active Duty Map Pool. Vertigo is part of the Reserve Map Pool but we probably won’t see it back in competitive play any time soon.

Defusal Group Delta Maps

Here are the four maps that you will get to play on if you choose the Defusal Group Delta option:

• Train
• Anubis
• Ancient
• Nuke
• Overpass

Apart from Overpass, every map on this list is played in professional tournaments.

Community Maps

In the Community Map Group, we now have:

• Jura
• Grail
• Agency

Hostage Maps

In the Hostage Map Group, we have:

• Office
• Italy

Other Map Changes

The May 8 CS2 patch introduced several other map changes:

• Community maps Basalt, Edin, Palais, and Whistle were removed from all game modes.
• Community maps Jura, Grail, and Agency were added to Competitive, Casual, and Deathmatch.
• Community maps Dogtown and Brewery were added to Wingman mode.

Missions

Apart from map changes, the May 8 CS2 update added weekly missions, which can be selected from the main menu or the play menu. Players receive one mission per week.

If a player completes a mission, they receive XP. Each weekly mission expires after 7 days.

Audio Fixes And Enhancements

The latest CS2 patch added a new audio setting, named Main Menu Ambience Volume. It also fixed some cases where shooting visible enemies over the top of smoke would not provide the appropriate feedback sound.

In some cases, gameplay sounds used to be skipped or inaudible. These bugs have been fixed.

The following console commands have been removed:

• snd_setmixer
• snd_setmixlayer
• snd_soundmixer_setmixlayer_amount
• snd_soundmixer_set_trigger_factor

Other Bug Fixes

The bug where input bindings to scancode56 or the English key “/” wouldn’t persist across app launches has been fixed.

Lobby invites from any player marked with “Block All Communication” in Steam will now be ignored.