How to Turn Off Bullet Tracers in CS2 (2026 Guide)

To turn off bullet tracers in CS2, open the developer console and enter r_drawtracers_firstperson 0. This disables the bright first-person tracer lines from your own shots. It does not require sv_cheats 1, and it works in regular CS2 modes such as Premier and matchmaking because it is a client-side visual setting.

To turn tracers back on, use r_drawtracers_firstperson 1. The full setup covers the quick command, the autoexec method, a toggle bind, and the difference between tracers, impact markers, and decals.

What Are Bullet Tracers in CS2?

Bullet tracers are the glowing lines or light trails that appear when you fire your weapon. In CS2, the setting controlled by r_drawtracers_firstperson affects the tracers from your own weapon in first-person view.

That means this command does not remove every bullet-related visual in the game. It does not remove blood, bullet holes, wall marks, or practice impact squares. It also does not stop you from seeing important enemy fire information.

How to Turn Off Bullet Tracers in CS2

Follow these steps:

1. Open CS2.
2. Open the developer console with ~.
3. Enter r_drawtracers_firstperson 0.
4. Press Enter.

Your first-person bullet tracers should now be disabled. If the console does not open, enable it first by going to Settings > Game > Enable Developer Console (~) and setting it to Yes. For a full walkthrough, use the console setup guide.

For more visual and practice settings, keep the console command reference nearby.

How to Turn Bullet Tracers Back On

To show bullet tracers again, open the console and enter:

r_drawtracers_firstperson 1

You do not need sv_cheats 1 to turn tracers back on. This is the same client-side setting, just set to the default enabled value.

You may also see true/false values used in some configs:

r_drawtracers_firstperson false
r_drawtracers_firstperson true

For most players, 0 and 1 are clearer because they match the format used by most CS2 command references.

Make the Change Permanent with autoexec.cfg

If your tracer setting resets after restarting CS2, add it to your autoexec.cfg. This forces CS2 to apply the command every time the game launches.

A simple autoexec.cfg can look like this:

// CS2 visual settings
r_drawtracers_firstperson 0

// Optional: keep console available
con_enable 1

Bind the Tracer Command to a Key (Toggle On/Off)

If you like testing both settings, bind tracers to a key. The most reliable one-key version is:

bind "T" "toggle r_drawtracers_firstperson 0 1"

Now pressing T switches your first-person tracers off and on. You can replace T with any unused key.

If you prefer two separate keys, use this:

bind "F7" "r_drawtracers_firstperson 0"
bind "F8" "r_drawtracers_firstperson 1"

Should You Disable Bullet Tracers? (Pros and Cons)

Turning off bullet tracers is mostly personal preference. Some players like the cleaner view. Others prefer the visual feedback during sprays.

If you are new to CS2, try a few deathmatch sessions with tracers on and off. If tracers help you learn recoil, keep them on. If they pull your eyes away from the crosshair, turn them off.

You should not expect a huge FPS boost from this command alone. Some players may see a small gain, especially on low-end systems, but it is better to treat this as a visual clarity tweak rather than a full performance fix.

For more competitive improvements, pair this with better crosshair, radar, and positioning habits. The ranking fundamentals and radar setup pages fit naturally with this kind of config cleanup.

Related Commands: Impact Markers and Decals

Bullet tracers are not the same as bullet impacts or decals. These are the related commands people usually confuse with tracer settings.

r_cleardecals: Clear Blood and Bullet Holes

Decals are visual marks left on surfaces, such as blood splatter, bullet holes, and wall marks. In CS:GO, many players used r_cleardecals to clear some of these marks.

In CS2, do not treat r_cleardecals as a reliable live-match fix. Decal-clearing behavior is restricted or inconsistent in official play, and players should not expect to freely bind a key to remove blood and bullet holes mid-round in Premier or matchmaking.

For practical purposes, use r_drawtracers_firstperson 0 if you want a cleaner first-person spray view. Do not confuse that with removing blood, bullet holes, or other surface marks.

sv_showimpacts: Show Bullet Impact Markers (Practice Only)

If you want to see exactly where bullets land during practice, use:

sv_showimpacts 1

This shows impact markers instead of normal tracer trails. Use it for recoil practice, wallbang testing, and learning spray behavior on a private server or practice setup. It is not the same as first-person tracers, and it is not something you should rely on in Premier or matchmaking.

To turn impact markers off, use:

sv_showimpacts 0

You can also adjust how long markers stay visible with:

sv_showimpacts_time 10

William Westerlund

William brings 7 years of experience writing for multiple gaming blogs. He has more than 10,000 hours played in CS:GO (CS2) and have played around in other games such as TF2 and Rust. Through his experience playing the game at a high level and dealing with skins for many years, he provides first-hand insight into the topics covered on the Tradeit.gg blog.

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