Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Official Box Art Release Date: 2012 Developer: Valve Corporation Hidden Path Entertainment Publisher: Valve Corporation Series: Counter-Strike Platforms: Microsoft Windows (CS2, GO) Linux (CS2, GO) Mac OS X (GO) PlayStation 3 (GO) Xbox 360 (GO) Genre: First-person shooter

Counter-Strike 2 (2023)

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (also known as CS:GO) is the latest installment of the Counter-Strike series, released in 2012. The game was developed by Valve Software and Hidden Path Entertainment for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Mac OS X. The Counter-Strike series's classic multiplayer gameplay had its first notable changes in CS:GO with the addition of fully-fledged new weapons.

On September 27th, 2023, the game was remade in Valve's Source 2 engine as Counter-Strike 2. CS2 features remade weapon models and textures, but as of currently, the differences between the two games are not significant enough to warrant a new page.

The following weapons appear in the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive:

Overview

Unlike previous Counter-Strike games, all weapons are no longer mirrored when using right-handed view, though they can be mirrored for left-handed view if the player desires. Additionally, the fictitious names used by weapons in the previous games have been largely dropped.

Third-person reload animations in Global Offensive are low-detail animations that frequently reuse the same motions. Fired rounds ejected during the firing animation and empty magazines dropped during the reload animation are physics objects that bounce on surfaces, and are visible in both first and third person.

Unlike earlier games, weapons and equipment equipped by a player can be seen on the player's model in third person. Pistols are carried in leg holsters or tucked into the back of the player character's pants for Terrorists, long guns are carried on the player character's back, CTs have SMGs hung in front of their chest, and grenades are visible on the player characters' belts.

Handguns

Heckler & Koch P2000

The Heckler & Koch P2000, known in-game simply as the "P2000", is the default starting pistol for Counter-Terrorists; it was originally the only starting CT pistol, but the August 14, 2013 patch re-added the USP as an alternate option. With a correct 13-round magazine capacity, a decent fire-rate, manageable recoil, and workable damage, the P2000 is serviceable early on, but loses effectiveness in later rounds due to its poor performance against armor. It costs $200, though its status as a default starting pistol renders this a bit of a moot point.

On a sidenote, the weapon in-game is modeled after (and marked as) the 9x19mm Parabellum-chambered variant, but the game's files instead code it to use .357 SIG; since Global Offensive, unlike prior CS titles, doesn't require players to buy ammo or allow sharing of reserves between primaries and secondaries, this isn't visible in any way in-game.

Heckler & Koch P2000 - 9x19mm Parabellum

Examining the P2000's model in the inventory model viewer.

On a lovely day in the Venetian canals of, well, de_canals, a counter-terrorist draws his P2000.

He then pauses for a moment to admire the loosely-scattered wooden boat-tying posts that form the map's completely impenetrable outer boundary...

...before switching his admiration to the left side of the pistol. Note that the "HK / P2000" logo on the grip has been replaced with a stylized "P / 2000".

The P2000's opposite side, which looks about the same as the left. Including the operator's complete lack of trigger discipline. Note that the right-side cutout for the ejection port is filled in for some reason.

Taking some potshots at passing fish.

Dumping out an empty magazine...

...inserting a new one...

...and giving the for-some-reason-not-locked-back slide a solid yank. This same routine is used by several of the game's other handguns.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the CS2 P2000 in the inventory.

Glock 26/17 Hybrid

A hybrid of Glock pistols, based largely on a Glock 26 frame, but with the full-length slide (and corresponding full-length slide rails) of a Glock 17, appears as the "Glock-18" (which, given its lack of a selector switch, is rather wide of the mark); given these features, it appears to be a reworked version of the Glock seen in Left 4 Dead 2. It serves as the Terrorists' default sidearm, featuring both semi-auto and incorrect 3-round burst firemodes, a somewhat absurd 20-round capacity, a largely-irrelevant $200 price tag (since one is given to the player at the start of any round wherein they don't have another sidearm), a decent fire rate (400 RPM max in semi-auto, or 1,200 RPM in bursts with noticeable delays in between), low weight, and manageable recoil, at the cost of somewhat low damage per shot, low accuracy, and downright abysmal performance against armor, making it a poor choice for later rounds. Inspecting the Glock also shows that its magazine release is not modeled.

Glock 26 (3rd Generation) - 9x19mm Parabellum

Glock 17 (3rd Generation) - 9x19mm Parabellum

Stick 'em together, and you wind up with this. You also apparently wind up with several years' worth of heavy use retroactively applied to it, if the scratches and wear marks are any indication.

Thanks to some, shall we say, nonstandard applications of the developer console, a Terrorist finds himself standing in the Flying Scoutsman-exclusive map ar_dizzy with a freshly-acquired Glock, and gives its slide a rack on the draw to make sure it's real.

Pausing for a moment, he soon sees that he's standing on a bundle of I-beams suspended by a tower crane, and begins to realize where the map got its name from.

Trying to shift his focus away from his current predicament while waiting for someone to help get him down, the terrorist takes a look at his Glock. The markings on the slide read "18", "AUSTRIA", and "9x19"; while it'd make sense for the Glock logo to be absent (i.e. for copyright reasons), this doesn't quite line up with the company name being directly applied to the pistol in-game.

The right side, which is totally devoid of any markings. Note the rounded end of the slide, another holdover from L4D2; interestingly, Glock would soon offer round-ended slides rather like this one on their 5th Generation pistols, 5 years after the release of Global Offensive, and eight years after this model's actual creation. Also note that it has an ambidextrous slide release, another feature of the 5th Generation Glocks.

Giving up on any chance of rescue, the terrorist makes a vain attempt to end it all, before belatedly realizing that the cables holding this bundle of beams up aren't actually solid or shootable.

He then vents some of his anger with a 3-round burst, directed at the cruel being that's keeping him in this unending prison. Due to the way that CSGO's recoil mechanics work, the rather substantial delay between bursts, and the Glock's somewhat poor damage (especially against armored enemies), the burst function serves little practical purpose, and is rarely used in-game.

Dumping out an empty magazine with a visibly-animated push of a visibly-nonexistent mag release button.

Sliding in a new one. While it may appear as if the magazine contains no ammunition (as with many other weapons in the game), it actually does contain some, but it's far too deep inside the mag to be seen (or even realistically be able to feed); still, there's no way short of reality-bending that it could fit 20 rounds of 9x19.

Racking the for-some-reason-not-locked-back slide, and getting back to pondering different methods of escape.

Counter-Strike 2

The "Glock-18" in CS2 is modelled with a 4th Generation grip. In addition, it also has an extended magazine baseplate, a guide rod and magazine release, and a more accurately modelled trigger.

Glock 26 (4th Generation) - 9x19mm Parabellum

Previewing the Glock in CS2.

SIG-Sauer P250 Compact

Replacing the SIG-Sauer P228 from prior titles, the early model of the SIG-Sauer P250 Compact (though technically the current model at the time of the game's release) can be purchased by both teams, costing $500. It holds 13 rounds, and has slightly better damage and armor penetration stats than the default pistols, though it only has 2 spare magazines in reserve, and has slightly worse accuracy and stronger recoil than either team's default choices. It is coded to use .357 SIG ammunition, though the P250 Compact isn't available in this caliber, and the cases that the weapon ejects are straight-walled (unlike the .357 SIG round's bottlenecked cases), suggesting that it's chambered in .40 S&W; as mentioned before, since ammo can no longer be purchased, this inaccuracy isn't visible during gameplay.

Early Model SIG-Sauer P250 Compact - .40 S&W

The P250 Compact in the game's model viewer. One of the game's less beaten-up weapons, all things considered.

A terrorist holding a P250 on cs_office, awaiting the arrival of the dreaded Alphabet Boys. The hammer used to be cocked at all times, though this was later updated to correctly reflect the P250's DAO behavior.

Inspecting the pistol; note the deep-cut dust cover, checkering on the front and back of the grip, round-edged thumb relief cuts, and smooth magazine grasping cutouts in the magazine well, all of which peg this as an early model.

Which makes sense, since there was no later model back in 2012.

Shooting at a computer out of boredom; note the straight-walled casing, at odds with the game files' claim that the weapon uses .357 SIG.

Swapping one empty magazine for another...

...and then racking the slide.

Practicing some quickdraws, somehow not ejecting another round each time the slide is racked.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the P250 in CS2.

Smith & Wesson Model 327 R8

The Smith & Wesson Model 327 R8 was added with the 2015 Winter Update, named the "R8 Revolver"; it can be selected as an alternative to the Desert Eagle for either team, and costs $600. It can be fired in either double-action or single-action mode with rather unrealistic properties, the latter being much faster than the former but also less accurate, as the weapon has an incredibly long trigger pull in double-action (it takes .42 seconds to fire), and the hammer is fanned in single-action. It was also, prior to being patched, insanely powerful for a .357 Magnum revolver. Its base damage of 115 allowed it to one-shot an enemy anywhere in the body at up to ludicrous ranges (for perspective, maximum one-body range was from Terrorist spawn to the double doors next to CT spawn on de_dust2), something that the .50AE Desert Eagle is incapable of - even stranger is that the game files claim the R8 is firing the same rounds as the Desert Eagle. The weapon has since been patched such that its base damage has been lowered (115 -> 75).

Smith & Wesson Model 327 Performance Center R8 - .357 Magnum

Inspecting the R8's model.

The R8 has two draw animations; the most common one has the player character, as natural for a video game revolver, spinning the weapon around his trigger finger before flicking the cylinder closed.

Holding the R8. Note the rail above the barrel, which is high enough that it blocks the iron sights.

Primary fire has the character operate his R8 in double action, requiring the player to hold the mouse button down. The hammer cocks back and cylinder rotates before firing; this allows for greater accuracy than normal, in return for slowing the player down while the hammer is pulled back.

Secondary fire has the character rapidly cock and shoot his R8, with decreased accuracy and still firing slower than the Desert Eagle can manage. Note that the hammer has yet to strike the firing pin, yet the weapon is already in full recoil.

Inspection, again befitting a revolver in a video game, has the player twirl it once, admire the left then right sides, before twirling it again. Note the unusable LAM on the underbarrel rail.

Reloading has the character correctly operate the extractor to dump the never fired rounds. Despite everything else, at this point he actually uses a speedloader to load new rounds and then pushes the cylinder back into place with his off hand.

Counter-Strike 2

The R8 in the inventory model viewer.

FN Five-seveN

A FN Five-seveN USG with adjustable target sights (no longer in production, though it was the current model when the game was released) is featured in-game, known as the "Five-SeveN". It doesn't do much damage, and its accuracy when firing rapidly is rather poor; however, it is quite accurate when firing individual shots or short bursts, not to mention its second-best-in-class capacity (an appropriate 20 rounds) and high effectiveness against armor, all for just $500. Prior to January 23, 2013, the Five-seveN was usable by both teams, but the patch made it once again a CT exclusive. While its damage is still nothing to write home about, the Five-seveN in GO is noticeably more powerful than its past incarnations; it can even score one-shot headshot kills against helmeted enemies at close range, as opposed to the Five-seveN in prior Counter-Strike games, which couldn't even one-shot unhelmeted enemies point-blank.

FN Five-seveN USG - 5.7x28mm

The FN Five-seveN in the inventory model viewer. One of the less worn weapons in Global Offensive, all things considered.

While enjoying some private time in one of de_safehouse's bathrooms, a SWAT operative hears a noise, and draws his Five-seveN.

Panicked and cornered, he holds his pistol on the door. You can't exactly see it in a still image, but trust me, he's trembling right now.

Figuring that it was just his imagination, the SWAT operative relaxes, and admires his Five-seveN.

Or maybe just pretends to be a gangsta.

Hearing another, significantly closer noise, the operative fires blindly through the door at an old issue of Birds and Blooms falling off of the toilet behind him an invisible, unknowable threat. Note the hole; wooden doors in CS:GO can be gradually totally destroyed by gunfire, melee attacks, explosions, and fire. The ejected cases are also incorrectly straight-walled; the 5.7x28mm round used by the Five-seveN is long, narrow, and bottlenecked.

Realizing that he's going to need a full mag to deal with the inevitable onslaught of jokes from his peers that he'll catch for this, the now egg-faced SWAT member dumps out an old empty magazine...

...shoves in a new empty magazine...

...and racks the slide.

Counter-Strike 2

Inspecting the Five-seveN in the inventory.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX

An IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX is included in CS:GO, known simply as the "Desert Eagle". As in prior titles, it serves as the most powerful and accurate sidearm available, but with a low capacity (7 rounds, correct for the non-fluted .50 AE variant of the pistol), heavy recoil, rather substantial weight (i.e. movement speed penalty), and the highest price of any pistol in the game, at $700. Like the Glock, its model is a modified version of the one from Left 4 Dead 2; it initially used a texture with a dusty, worn look, though the Arms Deal update gave it a cleaner chrome finish.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX with brushed chrome finish - .50 AE

The Desert Eagle in the inventory model viewer; this is one of the few weapons in the game with non-obfuscated trademarks, aside from the misspelling of "RESEARCH" as "RESEARGH".

Having decided to forsake all sensible armament, an FBI SWAT operative draws his Desert Eagle. Like prior games, the draw animation is a flashy spin, an animation which causes some blink-and-you'll-miss-it clipping between the gun and the user's hand, as seen here. At the release of the game, the draw was a slide-rack identical to the other pistols, but the spin was reintroduced for nostalgic value.

The Desert Eagle's standard idle pose, which shows off the curiously flat-black firing pin.

The standard inspection animation is another flashy affair, starting with a spin to show off the right side. Note the black dot at the front of the trigger guard, the black line above the player character's right hand, and the mirror-written slide markings; these are all by-products of the weapon's texture being mirrored along its centerline.

This is followed by another spin to view the better-textured left side. Note the underbarrel rail (a feature which wasn't available at the time of CS:GO's release, though IMI would later make it a factory option); in L4D2, this was used to mount a flashlight, though the only purpose it serves here is to mount a "StatTrak" (digital kill-counter) module to some skinned versions.

Interestingly, the Desert Eagle (or "Deagle", as many players like to call it) later received a secondary inspection animation; this consists simply of a whole bunch of spinning, first forwards, then backwards, then sideways (as seen here), then backwards again, before finally being returned to a standstill.

As evidenced by the missing textures on the bottom of the slide, the pistol clearly wasn't designed with this amount of twirling in mind.

Finally ceasing his gun-spinning antics, the FBI operative decides to practice his "One-Deag" skills on the windows of de_lake's house. The pistol jumps rather sharply when fired, though apparently nobody has bothered to notify the muzzle flash of this fact.

Like the dual-wielded Beretta M9A1s, the Desert Eagle has a special firing animation for the last round in the magazine (wherein the slide stays open instead of returning to battery)...

...though, considering how the pistol automatically starts a fixed reload animation wherein the slide goes forward and the hammer decocks itself for some reason, it's not particularly clear why. This shot also shows off the complete lack of actual ammunition in the supposedly-full new magazine.

Concluding the reload animation with a dramatic rack of the slide, the inside of which also appears to be missing some textures.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the Desert Eagle. The slide is now devoid of any markings, misspelt or not, but in exchange gains a ".50AE" caliber mark on the barrel.

Beretta M9A1

Dual Beretta M9A1 Inox handguns with wood grips, referred to as "Dual Berettas", are a buyable sidearm choice, replacing the dual-wielded Beretta 92G Elite IIs from prior titles; unlike said titles, they are now available to both sides, rather than being exclusive to the Terrorists. Surprisingly cheap for a pair of handguns (only $400 in total, which makes each gun the same price as each side's starting pistols), the Dual Berettas offer decent damage, low recoil, a relatively high rate of fire, and the best magazine capacity of any sidearm in the game (for obvious reasons), at the cost of poor armor penetration, low damage at range, and poor accuracy and reload speed (again, for obvious reasons).

Beretta M9A1- 9x19mm Parabellum. The pistols seen in-game are Inox models with wood grips, but are otherwise the same as seen here.

Beretta 92FS Inox with wood grips (US made gun with black controls), for comparison - 9x19mm Parabellum

The Berettas' collective model in the viewer. At full size, the slide markings can be read; in spite of the appropriate name, they read "PIETA BARDOTTA" instead of "PIETRO BERETTA". Next to this is "GORDON F" instead of "GARDONE V.T.", a rather obvious allusion to the Half-Life series.

Rounding a corner on cs_italy, a separatist draws his pistols, preparing for a spectacular John Woo-esque shootout...

...only to find absolutely nobody. Note that, despite the draw animation being focused entirely around cocking the pistols' hammers (the only slide-possessing sidearm other than the Desert Eagle to not be racked when drawn), their hammers aren't actually fully cocked; this is approximately the half-cock position. Also note that the left pistol is closer to the center than the right pistol is; this is a result of viewmodel alignments for other weapons. Using console commands, one can set the x-axis shift of the viewmodel to 0, resulting in symmetrically held dual pistols as is common in games.

Inspecting the pistols is a rather involved affair: it starts out with a look at the left side of the left gun and the right side of the right one...

...then the right side of the left and the left side of the right...

...followed by a quick pair of muzzle-to-muzzle kisses...

...and, finally, a satisfying twirl. Perhaps a nod to the flashy animations of the Dual Elites from earlier games.

Firing off some rounds at a wall. Note that the pistols are actually animated independently of each other; here, the left one's slide is returning to battery, while the right one's slide is just beginning to open.

Interestingly, if only one round remains in the pistols' magazines, the left one will lock open (since it always fires first), as seen here. Meanwhile, a conveniently-placed chicken conspires to make this whole ordeal look substantially more questionable.

Not that this stops them both from locking open the instant a reload starts, regardless of how many rounds remained in either pistol prior. And equally regardless of the fact that the left pistol's magazine is empty.

Reloading the right gun, which prompts the separatist to put 2 fingers in its trigger guard, behind the trigger. A valiant attempt has been made to make this magazine look loaded, but a still shot like this gives away the fact that the round at the top is just a texture.

The routine concludes with the releasing of both slides, a process which apparently doesn't require the use of either pistol's slide release.

Counter-Strike 2

The refreshed dualies in the inventory inspector.

Intratec TEC-9

The Intratec TEC-9 is one of Global Offensive's new sidearms, serving as the Terrorists' counterpart to the CTs' FN Five-seveN; unlike its depictions in most media, the TEC-9 in CS:GO is correctly shown as semi-auto. Costing $500, it holds 18 rounds in the magazine (not a normal capacity for the TEC-9; the closest one could get would be a 20-rounder deliberately underloaded with 18 rounds, though the in-game model is a 32-rounder). The weapon originally boasted a very generous 32 round capacity, low recoil, and high accuracy when moving, making the weapon perfect for spamming; it was later rebalanced to reward accuracy, with surprisingly good first-shot accuracy, rather bouncy recoil, the ability to kill helmeted enemies in a single headshot, and the aforementioned capacity alteration.

Intratec TEC-9 - 9x19mm Parabellum

Inspecting the TEC-9's (or, as it's known in game, the "Tec-9"'s) model. Note that the markings denote it as being made by "INFRATOC"; it's not exactly clear why, since Intratec went out of business in 2001.

Upon seeing a suspicious van, a local street ruffian on de_stmarc draws his TEC-9 with a quick pull of the bolt. Or rather, a pull of the bolt handle; the actual bolt itself apparently hasn't gotten on board with the idea.

Realizing that the van can't be going about a drive-by because it isn't driving, the guttersnipe relaxes...

...before then realizing that there could still be rival gangsters in the van, and letting his paranoia get the better of him.

Satisfied with his 12-shot handiwork, the street urchin reloads. Note that the magazine release is correctly pushed; it even moves forward as it's pushed.

Unfortunately, not all is well, as the fresh magazine is still empty. Early on, a bug made the entire portion of the mag normally hidden by the magazine well flat black, though this was later fixed.

Finishing off the reload with a sharp yank of the charging handle; once again, the bolt isn't being particularly cooperative.

Growing restless, the scapegrace examines the insolent bolt. The bolt responds by pointing out the inherent hypocrisy in a hoodlum such as himself making such an accusation.

Lacking a proper response, the delinquent sulks, flipping the bolt away from himself to look at the equally-illegitimate markings.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the TEC-9.

Heckler & Koch USP Tactical

The Heckler & Koch USP Tactical was added in the August 14, 2013 patch as the "USP-S", and is an optional replacement for the P2000, being a successor to the suppressed USP from previous CS games (upon its initial introduction, it even re-used CS:S's USP's sounds). Compared to the P2000, the USP has one less round per magazine (12 instead of 13) and only 2 magazines in reserve, but is more accurate, and comes with the obvious benefits of using a suppressor; beyond these attributes, the two pistols are nearly identical (including damage and armor penetration, despite the rather significant caliber difference between the two). Using the alternate fire key will remove or attach the suppressor; there is little point to doing this, since unlike previous titles the suppressor doesn't decrease the weapon's damage, and removing it increases recoil and decreases accuracy, making it directly inferior to the P2000.

Heckler & Koch USP Tactical - .45 ACP

Inspecting the USP Tactical's model.

Looking out over a rather battle-scarred baggage sorting area, a concerned GSG-9 operative draws his USP; the rather obvious lack of a chambered round probably doesn't help ease his nerves.

Idling with the pistol; note the strangely thin, tall front sight blade and near-nonexistent rear sigh notch. Also note that the hammer is never cocked in first-person, despite both the third-person model and the HUD icon correctly showing it cocked. Well, it's not like it's the only inconsistency in this section...

Growing bored, the operative examines his USP Tactical; for absolutely no discernible reason, the marking beneath the ejection port (visible at full size) reads "CAL. 223".

The opposite side, fortunately enough, lacks any such impossible markings.

Putting a couple of rounds into what is most likely a very important, expensive piece of machinery.

Swapping out magazines (none of which contain any ammunition)...

...and racking the slide.

Unscrewing the suppressor; this is generally not something you should do with your finger on the trigger. The model initially lacked the protruding, threaded barrel, though this error was later fixed, as seen here.

Firing the USP without its suppressor, creating substantially more flash and smoke in the process.

And now, for something completely different, we take a trip to cs_militia, which contains a house with a fireplace with stockings above it, the middle one of which contains an unusable USP Tactical as well. Said USP has the top-tier "Neo-Noir" optional skin, and in good condition to boot. If that's what's in the stockings, then I can't wait to see what's under the tree.

Counter-Strike 2

The USP in CS2 now has a Knight's Armament suppressor similarly to the original Counter-Strike.

Previewing the USP in CS2. A more accurate model, on the whole.

CZ 75 Automatic

The CZ 75 Automatic was added in a patch in February 2014. It is a full-auto machine pistol that optionally replaces the Five-seveN for the Counter-Terrorists or the TEC-9 for the Terrorists. It holds 12 rounds (lower than the real weapon's 16 - it started out correct, but was lowered for balance) with only a single spare magazine, being intended as a "high risk, high reward" weapon. Notably, its draw animation shows the character attaching the magazine to the underside before cocking it (this was done to extend the draw for balancing reasons). It's also the only weapon other than the AW to get a lower reward for killing enemies, at only $100 per kill - rather low, though it's at least in line with the weapon's $500 price tag. It fires at a more controllable 600 RPM instead of the real life 1,000 RPM.

CZ 75 Automatic - 9x19mm Parabellum

"Pre-B" CZ 75 - 9x19mm

Inspecting the CZ-75 Auto's model. Note that the safety is modeled more similarily to that of the older "Pre B" CZ 75s.

Drawing the CZ-75, by first attaching the foregrip-magazine...

...then racking the slide.

A GSG9 operative with a CZ-75 Auto, looking over de_overpass's Bombsite B. The graffiti on the side of the building commemorates a moment in a professional match where player "olofmeister" successfully defused a bomb a fraction of a second before dying in a fire.

Examining the machine pistol's left side. The markings read "CZ 75 AUTOMATIC CAL 9MM LUGER" on the slide, and "MADE IN CZECH REPUBLIC" on the frame.

The other side gives a fair bit less information.

Dumping out some rounds. Even with the reduced rate of fire, its 12 rounds don't last very long.

The rather involved primary reload animation, which starts with a unique magazine drop...

...followed by the removal of the front magazine...

...and the insertion of the aforementioned mag, modeled rounds and all.

The secondary animation, on the other hand, doesn't have these rounds, and is a slowed-down version of the P250/Glock/P2000/Five-SeveN routine. This animation didn't exist prior to a certain patch, so reloading early would make an extra magazine spontaneously pop into existence on the front of the frame.

Both animations end with a rather overly enthusiastic racking of the slide.

Counter-Strike 2

The updated CZ 75 model has a safety more accurate to the real CZ 75 Automatic.

The CS 75's model in CS2.

Submachine Guns

Unlike previous games, most submachine guns will award bonus money upon killing enemies (2x the reward for all of them except the P90).

Ingram MAC-10

A MAC-10 is featured in-game, another gun returning from prior titles. The model is from Left 4 Dead 2 (sans suppressor with zip-tied flashlight). The MAC-10's advantages are its high firing rate and subsequent close-range damage, light weight, and low price (a mere $1,050, the lowest of any primary weapon in the game - so low, in fact, that it can be bought in the pistol round in Competitive mode, as long as the prospective buyer gets a kill within the first 30 seconds of the round, without buying anything else), while sacrificing effective range, accuracy, and armor penetration.

Ingram MAC-10 - 9x19mm

Inspecting the MAC-10's model. "A box that bullets come out of" seems apt, if a bit harsh. Not as harsh as the treatment that this gun's clearly been through, though.

A terrorist drawing the MAC-10 on the map de_ruby (set in Portugal), the weapon apparently decocking itself every time it's put away. As a note of trivia, this map was added on April 25th, 2019, a major Portuguese holiday; the distinctive bridge just outside the map is based on the actual 25 de Abril Bridge between Lisbon and Almada in Portugal.

Idling with the MAC. Unlike the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 (and in some previous CS titles), CS:GO's characters actually use the makeshift front strap/foregrip.

Examining the MAC-10; also unlike L4D2, the front strap actually responds to gravity, instead of staying perfectly perpendicular to the barrel at all times.

The other side, which shows off a round visible through the ejection port (correct, as this is an open-bolt submachine gun, though the round is still present when the gun runs empty); it being steel-cased could contribute to the low price, while it being hollow-pointed could at least partly explain the gun's abysmal performance against armor. Also note the darkened outline of a fire selector (a texture error fixed in a 2019 update) and backwards "FULL" marking, showing that the lower receiver's texture is apparently mirrored at its midpoint.

Spraying away at the beautiful cityscape ahead. Perhaps out of anger at the map's colossal file size.

30 wasted rounds of cheap .45 ammo later, the terrorist swaps magazines...

...and locks back the bolt. Regardless of whether or not the mag was emptied beforehand, the bolt will lock forward upon reloading, seemingly solely to allow this.

Counter-Strike 2

The CS2 version of the MAC-10 is modelled with flared protrusions on the bottom of the grip, indicating that it is based on a .45 ACP version.

The MAC-10 in the inventory model viewer.

Brügger & Thomet MP9

A Brügger & Thomet MP9 is one of the available submachine guns in-game, replacing the previous games' Steyr TMP, as a cheap ($1,250), fast-firing (857 RPM), lightweight SMG for Counter-Terrorists that's good for run-and-gun, spray-and-pray tactics in early rounds, but loses effectiveness later on with the proliferation of armor and rifles. Unlike the TMP, however, the MP9 does not come with a suppressor, and instead behaves simply as the CT equivalent to the MAC-10.

Brügger & Thomet MP9 - 9x19mm Parabellum

The B&T MP9 in the inventory model viewer. Notably, unlike the in-game MAC-10 (and many of the game's other compact submachine guns), the MP9's stock is extended.

Readying himself for some high-intensity slam-dunking, an SAS operative on cs_workout draws his MP9.

Standing idly. Note the "reflective" floors; the Source engine can't support dynamic reflections easily, so the map creators' solution was to create a translucent floor with all of the props duplicated upside-down underneath it.

Waiting for his opponents to show up, the SAS operative examines his SMG. Note how even some of the parts which are ostensibly made of polymer have wear marks with bare metal underneath.

The other side, which reveals some markings on the bolt; these read "Cal 9x19mm" on the first line, and "A-0109524" (presumably a serial number) on the second.

Realizing that his opposition has chickened out of the match, the operative lashes out in anger, and vents his frustrations on a basketball.

30 rounds later, he yanks out an empty magazine...

...shoves in another one...

...and tugs the apparently heavily scratched-up charging handle, before grumbling into his gasmask and heading back home.

Counter-Strike 2

The MP9's model in CS2.

PP-19 Bizon-2

The PP-19 Bizon-2 is an available SMG for both teams, known in-game as the "PP-Bizon". While its low damage, poor accuracy, and pitiful performance against armor make it a questionable choice for later rounds, its high rate of fire (750 RPM), controllable recoil, and best-in-class capacity (a staggering 64 rounds) allow it to perform quite well in the early phases of a match (or, considering its $1,400 price tag, during eco rounds). It feeds from an early aluminum magazine.

Its 64-round capacity corresponds to the 9x18mm Makarov version, but the weapon is instead coded to use 9x19mm Parabellum in the game files (unlike earlier games, coded caliber info is not visible in-game and does not impact gameplay due to the need to buy ammo and ammo sharing between weapons of the same caliber being removed), which would have it use a 53-round magazine instead.

PP-19 Bizon-2 with early aluminum magazine - 9x18mm Makarov

Inspecting the PP-19 Bizon-2 in the inventory's model viewer.

The Bizon in first-person, held by a counter-terrorist on cs_agency.

"Silent and watchful, the Bizon Soldier looks out over the streets below. Like it or not, there is evil in this city - and it's his job to deal with it."

"He'd be even better at it if the texture on his gun's bolt wasn't broken. Or if he stopped doing some dramatic superhero monologue and, y'know, actually rescued the hostages trapped in this office building."

Engaging in some more un-counter-terroristly conduct, and indiscriminately unloading rounds on the streets below.

The Bizon's stampede finished, he then swaps out the weapon's distinctive helical magazine...

...and flips it over to pull the charging handle.

Counter-Strike 2

In CS2, the Bizon's magazine has witness holes on the right side, accurate to some versions of the original smooth magazine design.

The Bizon in CS2.

Heckler & Koch UMP45

A Heckler & Koch UMP45 with a vertical foregrip is one of the available submachine guns in-game, known simply as the "UMP-45". At only $1,200, it is the second-cheapest SMG in the game (and the cheapest available to Counter-Terrorists, since the only one cheaper is the MAC-10); it is somewhat more akin in behavior to the rifles, with a (correct) 25-round magazine, best-in-class damage, and decent range, accuracy, and armor penetration, with its main drawbacks being its somewhat bouncy, aggressive recoil, and the lowest rate of fire in the SMG category (666 RPM).

Heckler & Koch UMP45 - .45 ACP

The UMP45 in the inventory model viewer. "UMP-45" is visible on the side of the receiver, with ".45 Auto" being written on the bottom of the magazine.

Taking a trip down memory lane in the 20th-anniversary classic version of de_dust2, an IDF operative draws his "K&M UMP45" with a quick yank of the charging handle.

He then waits patiently, while fondly reminiscing about all the good times had in this infamous area, "Courtyard With A Dead Guy In It".

Examining the left side of the UMP; apparently, moving the ejection port to the other side required flipping the selector lever beyond full-auto.

The IDF operative then pretends to shoot the dead terrorist in the crotch, while noticing the safety on this side being very on.

Instead of doing so, he simply unloads on the wall above the corpse.

Pushing the (correctly movable) magazine release to remove an empty magazine, the side window of which always depicts a full load of cartridges.

Loading in a replacement mag; while the full texture in the window would now be correct, the magazine is always shown as empty at the top.

The reload is concluded with another pull of the charging handle, and a return to business as usual.

Counter-Strike 2

The UMP in CS2.

FN P90 TR

The FN P90 TR appears in the game as the "P90", with rail-mounted iron sights (despite the fact that the P90 TR's top rail includes iron sights, and the fact that the irons aren't usable in-game anyways). It is the only submachine gun not to award extra money for kills. Due to its high armor penetration value (69%), high capacity, decent damage, moderate recoil, and high rate of fire, the weapon has gained a great deal of notoriety in the CS:GO community, commonly being associated with lower-skilled players; its only real downsides are the aforementioned low kill award, an exorbitant price of $2,350, and a slow reload.

FN P90 TR - 5.7x28mm

The P90 TR's in-game model, which is rather battered and scratched-up. It also features an opaque brownish-orange magazine, as opposed to the translucent ones normally associated with the P90.

An FBI SWAT member draws his P90 with a rather strange pull of the cocking handle...

...and then promptly does absolutely nothing. Well, nothing apart from admiring the view of de_zoo's empty lion enclosure.

Examining his P90 (with absolutely atrocious trigger discipline); at full size, the weapon's trademarks can be read, showing to apparently be made by "Fabrique Rationale" out of "Harbog BELGIUM". This random yelling of a country's name is not enough to distract the player from the fact that their character's sleeve clips through the ejection port.

The reverse side shows exactly the same pattern of scratches, as well as the same obfuscated trademarks (albeit backwards), showing that the weapon's right-side texture is apparently just a mirror of its left-side one.

Unloading the P90 at nothing in particular; the P90 in CS:GO, unlike those in many games, correctly ejects spent casings downwards, though this does have the side-effect of bouncing them off of the floor and into the player's field of view.

Reloading the submachine gun; the player character correctly pushes both magazine catches before removing the magazine, and said catches stay in the locked-open position until a new magazine is inserted.

Lining up a new magazine, and seating it with a hearty smack. Though the hand positions in this particular shot seem to suggest that the FBI SWAT member is instead attempting to cover up the fact that the magazine even exists.

Concluding a reload with the same strange cocking routine seen in the draw animation; it's currently unknown if this technique (which uses the wielder's left thumb and forefinger to pull both charging handles) appears in any other form of media.

Counter-Strike 2

Inspecting the CS2 P90.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1

The Heckler & Koch MP7A1 appears in-game as the "MP7". Costing $1,500, it is a middle-of-the-road SMG, being decently powerful and accurate, with low recoil, a moderately high fire rate (750 RPM, compared to the real steel's 950-1,150), and a 30-round magazine capacity. It fills the same role as the previous games' H&K MP5, even recycling its prior incarnations' firing sound up until a patch in 2016. It's also bizarrely shown as the heaviest weapon in its class, slowing down the player even more than the P90, despite weighing a full 1.4 lbs (0.6 kg) less in reality.

Of note is that the game files incorrectly code the weapon to use 9x19mm rounds (instead of the appropriate 4.6x30mm); this has no effect on gameplay, as unlike prior Counter-Strike games, players no longer need to buy ammo.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1 with 40-round magazine - 4.6x30mm

Inspecting the MP7A1's model. Apart from the shorter side rail segment, and the fact that the rifle-style aperture/winged post sights are flipped up, it's nearly identical to the reference image above. Also note that there is no safe setting.

An FBI SWAT team member holding an MP7A1 on de_vertigo, making sure that the HVAC unit doesn't try anything funny.

Forgetting to remember to forget that he'd forgotten to do so, the operative then draws the gun he was already holding. This apparently merits pulling the charging handle with a clenched fist.

Releasing the charging handle has it snap back into battery, giving the player just barely enough time to notice that the operating rod is colored completely flat black.

Inspecting the MP7. The stock is never extended, most likely to avoid clipping issues with third-person character models (since not all of them have the same thickness of clothes).

Letting his paranoia get the best of him, the CT panics, and dumps round after round at his inanimate enemy. The spent casings seem to agree with the game files' incorrect notions about the weapon's caliber, being wide and straight-walled - akin to 9x19mm casings, but not to the narrow, bottlenecked 4.6x30mm ones it should be spitting out.

Having successfully wasted a rather large amount of not-at-all-cheap proprietary ammunition, the operative checks to see if the bolt catch works properly. Apparently, it doesn't.

Swapping magazines, in a suitably dramatic fashion; as with many of the game's weapons, there is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it instance of clipping between the magazine and its well. Luckily, this is a still image, so blink all you'd like.

This is followed by a more normal-looking yank of the cocking handle, which might have something to with the aforementioned malfunctioning bolt catch.

Counter-Strike 2

The CS2 model of the MP7. Note that the safe setting on the selector is now properly textured.

Heckler & Koch MP5SD3

The MP5SD3 was added to the game in the August 15, 2018 update as an alternative option to the MP7, as a successor to the MP5 from previous games replaced in CSGO by the MP7. It has many of the same stats as the MP7, the only major differences being the suppressor, a faster movement speed, and slightly lower damage.

Heckler & Koch MP5SD3 - 9x19mm

Inspecting the default MP5SD weapon with no skins.

The MP5SD has two draw animations. One is an average HK slap.

The other one is the HK slap's distant cousin, the HK slam.

The MP5SD on the new remade version of the Dust II map, with the new Panorama UI. Incidentally, the CT's gloves are new too, having received a model quality upgrade in 2016, and now supports cosmetic gloves.

Reloading the MP5SD, after pulling back the charging handle. Note the marking on the magazine well that says "Kal 9mm x 30"; although the 30 possibly refers to the magazine capacity, its location on the caliber marking on a real MP5 makes this somewhat questionable.

Giving the MP5SD a slightly different HK slap when the reload completes.

Inspecting the right side of the weapon.

Counter-Strike 2

Inspecting CS2's MP5SD; note that its proportions are now more accurate to the real weapon, with a less angled magazine and more rounded trigger guard.

Assault Rifles

Mk 18 Mod 0

A Mk 18 Mod 0 fitted with an ARMS#40 flip-up rear iron sight and KAC free-float RAS handguard with rail covers appears as the "M4A4", serving as the Counter-Terrorists' staple assault rifle. The kill icon originally incorrectly showed the M4A1 with carry handle from Counter-Strike: Source, though a later patch corrected it. Unlike the M4A1 in previous Counter-Strike games, it does not include a detachable suppressor, instead simply serving as a middle-of-the-road rifle; compared to the Terrorists' AKM, it fires faster, is more accurate, and has less recoil, but is more expensive (costing $3,100), does less damage per shot, and has slightly poorer armor penetration, the latter two factors making it incapable of killing a helmeted enemy in a single headshot.

Mk 18 Mod 0 - 5.56x45mm NATO

The Mk 18 Mod 0 in the inventory model viewer.

Out on the tutorial course, a GO trainee draws his Mk 18 with a quick rack of the charging handle...

...and then awaits further orders.

Preparing to shoot some targets, the trainee checks to make sure his weapon is correctly set to full-auto, while the game provides an incredibly useful hint.

A brief flip reveals some issues; in addition to the permanently-shut dust cover, the lower receiver's texture is mirrored, leaving the right side with backwards selector markings and a blacked-out area where the selector switch would be if the lower was ambidextrous.

Following the mysteriously apathetic supervisor's orders, he's soon blasting away at some fake terrorists; despite clearly producing sparks and metallic dinging when shot, these are continuously referred to as being wooden. The lights next to them are a health bar, showing how much damage is done by various different rounds to various different regions.

In a later, more speed-focused portion of the course, the trainee ignores a substantially less important hint, electing instead to drop an empty mag in full view of his "enemies".

Loading a new magazine; unlike many of the game's other weapons, the Mk 18's fresh magazines actually visibly contain ammunition.

Concluding the reload with an open-palmed smack of the bolt release.

Out in the field, the trainee-turned-agent spots a buddy with a Mk 18 of his own, wrapped up in sling straps; this trait is unique among CT rifles, and shared only overall with the AKM.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the Mk 18's new model.

Colt Model 723

A later-pattern Colt Model 723 was added in the August 14, 2013 update; known incorrectly as the "M4A1-S", it serves as an optional replacement for the above Mk 18 Mod 0 "M4A4", and a successor to the suppressed M4A1 in previous games. Compared to its unsuppressed counterpart, the Model 723 differs primarily in its fire rate (600 RPM, lower than the M4A4's 666) and capacity (20 rounds instead of the M4A4's 30, despite being modeled with a 30-round magazine; an update in 2019 increased this to 25 rounds, but this change was later reverted in a 2022 update), in exchange for the obvious benefits provided by a suppressor. It comes with 3 spare magazines and a suppressor attached by default that can be removed or re-attached by using the alternate fire button. As with the USP-S, it did not initially receive new sounds, taking its own directly from Counter-Strike: Source, though these were later replaced with a new set in September of 2016.

Colt Model 723, late model with "M4" profile barrel - 5.56x45mm NATO

Inspecting the Model 723. Unlike most of the game's other weapons, the default viewing angle is slanted upwards; since only the horizontal viewing angle can be changed, this is about as side-on of a shot as one can get.

Spooked by a mysterious figure off in the distance, an FBI HRT operative draws his Model 723 with a pull of the charging handle.

Realizing that the figure is probably just a snowman, the operative refrains from firing, but keeps an eye out nonetheless. Note the fixed carrying handle, putting paid to any claim that the weapon in-game is an actual M4A1.

Examining the M723's left side, showing off the selector lever (set to safe, though prior to a patch it didn't exist at all) and the strange strip on the receiver/bolt release texture (this was a physical object that blocked the bolt release before the aforementioned patch)...

...and the right one. While the latter is seen for a far shorter span of time than the former, the brief glance is still enough to notice that (as with the previous games' M4A1s) the dust cover never opens like it should.

Thinking he saw the "snowman" make a move, the operative takes no chances.

The threat dealt with, he reloads to replace the one round he fired, starting by ejecting a visibly empty magazine that presumably still has 18 rounds in it somewhere.

Following this is the insertion of a new magazine, which is equally empty-looking.

And, to finish it all off, a satisfying slap of the bolt release. Back to business.

This "business" apparently includes unscrewing the suppressor from the rifle's threaded flash hider. As with the USP above, there's not much reason to actually do this, since all it does is increase noise, add a muzzle flash, reduce accuracy, and increase recoil; punctuating this is the remarkable length of this procedure compared to previous games, giving the player plenty of time to reconsider their decision.

Should they choose to ignore their better judgement and abandon any pretense of stealth, however, the result will look something like this.

Counter-Strike 2

Inspecting the 723 in CS2. As the inventory preview function can now rotate the model vertically, a straight side shot of the M4A1-S is now possible. Hooray!

AKMN

The "AK-47" in the game is actually an AKMN, with plastic 30-round magazines. It offers very high stopping power and penetration (capable of one-shot headshots against helmeted enemies), good accuracy, and a manageable price of $2,700, at the cost of its somewhat heavy weight, a lower rate of fire than its competitors, and rather strong recoil. This model is notably ported from Left 4 Dead 2 (including the presence of the wider front sight and narrower handguard of an actual AK-47) with slight alterations like detail on the stock and a smaller spring lock.

AKM - 7.62x39mm

Inspecting the AKMN's model. Much of the original factory finish has been worn off, revealing the bare white steel beneath.

A terrorist looks over the area outside de_nuke's titular nuclear plant, noting the rather ironic slogan.

Inspecting the rifle; the side-mounted dovetail rail indicates this to be an AKMN model, meant to accept a 1PN51 or 1PN58 night-vision sight, though nearly any Warsaw Pact-issued optic can fit it. As attachable optics aren't a feature of Global Offensive (or any main-series CS game, for that matter), the in-game rail is purely cosmetic.

The other side, which shows off the bolt and early-pattern handguard.

Changing the plant's marketing into lies with the aid of a few 7.62x39mm rounds.

Removing a partly-empty magazine, which shows off a nice detail: the magazine release subtly moves when the player character's hand touches it.

Which makes it all the more strange that the fresh magazine that the player character inserts is visibly not loaded. It also bears an incorrect "7.62x30" marking on the side.

The reload is concluded by flipping the rifle over and pulling the charging handle; this is also done whenever the AKMN is drawn.

Like the Mk. 18 above, the AKMN is attached to the user's back via actual sling straps when holstered in third-person; this shot shows that the same can't be said for all of the game's rifles, the SIG556 being one of the less fortunate ones.

"Huh, those are some odd-looking car parts..."

Counter-Strike 2

In Counter-Strike 2, the AK is modelled with a steel magazine and a proper AKM front sight, although it still retains the palm swell-less handguard of the old model.

The AKM in CS2's inventory inspector.

Steyr AUG A3

Replacing the Steyr AUG A1 from previous games is the more recent A3 variant, with a Trijicon ACOG providing a low zoom level and allowing for precise shots. It deals good damage, with a moderate rate of fire, strong-yet-simple recoil, and a unique ability (for CT assault rifles) to land instant-kill headshots against helmeted enemies at point-blank range, at the cost of, well, cost (the most expensive in its class, at $3,300), along with its heavy weight and slow reload. The rifle's in-game model visibly has a 42-round magazine, despite it only having a 30-round capacity gameplay wise.

Steyr AUG A3 - 5.56x45mm NATO

The AUG A3 in the model viewer.

"Alright, whichever one of you peed in the pool, just confess to your crimes, and nobody has to get hurt."

Looking over the Riverview Sports Center's shallow pool with an AUG.

Looking over at the inaccessible Olympic-style lane pool through the mounted ACOG. Prior to a patch in February 2014, the scopes on both the AUG and SIG556 simply zoomed in the player's view (as they did in prior CS games). Note the incorrect green dot reticle; this dot changes to match the player's selected crosshair color, making it green by default.

Inspecting the AUG. Note that this side has an ejection port cover...

...whereas this one (correctly) doesn't.

Spraying away at the glass doors on the other side of the pool. Being map boundary walls, they prove more resilient than one might expect.

Reloading the AUG. Not even a physically impossible fire in a pool can hide the fact that the 42-round 30-round magazine is textured solid brown instead of being translucent, and doesn't have any feed lips.

Concluding this listing of anomalies by racking the rifle's charging handle, with a slightly different animation than the draw shown above.

Counter-Strike 2

Viewing the CS2 AUG's model in the inventory.

FAMAS G1

A FAMAS G1 is featured in-game, but incorrectly uses 30-round STANAG magazines in its F1 magwell instead of the proper 25-round straight magazines; despite this, it still holds 25 rounds per magazine (and, despite that, still has 90 rounds in reserve like most of the other assault rifles, which works out to 3 full magazines and three-fifths of another one). At only $2,050, the FAMAS is the cheapest assault rifle available to the Counter-Terrorists; unfortunately, there is little else to be said for it, with its relatively low damage, lower-than-standard capacity, and long reload relegating its primary role to low-cash rounds. Pressing the alt-fire key toggles the weapon between full-auto and 3-round burst; the latter mode bumps the rate of fire up from the default 666 RPM to 800 (both of which are short of the real weapon's 1,000 RPM, likely for balance-related reasons), decreases recoil, and boosts accuracy, at the cost of adding a longer delay between trigger pulls (presumably, again, for the sake of balance).

On a sidenote, the FAMAS F1's icon from past titles is re-used in GO as the icon for the FAMAS G1.

FAMAS G1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

FAMAS F1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

Taking a look at the FAMAS G1's model reveals it to be rather worn-looking, particularly around the handguard and magazine.

The FAMAS G1 in first-person on de_inferno, with the F1 HUD icon visible to the right. Not every day you see a British special operative holding a French assault rifle in a small town in Italy, huh?

Admiring both the rifle and the lovely fish-filled fountain that serves as the focal point of Bombsite B.

The other side, which gives a good view of the unusable folding bipod.

Spraying off some rounds at a terrorist, who narrowly avoids them through the dastardly trick of not actually being there.

Realizing this, the CT attempts to use the burst-fire mode for a bit of impromptu fishing.

Reloading the FAMAS. As is tradition, this process is done without the use of actual ammunition.

Finishing a reload (or drawing the weapon) prompts a pull of the charging handle, accomplished in-game with the user's left hand.

Counter-Strike 2

The FAMAS in CS2. Note that the selector in the trigger guard is now on safe, even though it pointed at burst/full-auto in GO.

IWI Galil ACE 22

Replacing the IMI Galil ARM from prior Counter-Strike titles, CS:GO features the Galil ACE 22 as an optional assault rifle for Terrorists, known in-game as the "Galil AR" (actually a different variant altogether, though "AR" could possibly just be a generic "Assault/Automatic Rifle" suffix). The ACE 22 boasts the highest magazine capacity (a correct 35 rounds) and lowest cost (only $1,800) in its class, at the cost of poor performance against armor (being the only Terrorist assault rifle that can't kill a helmeted enemy in a single headshot) and somewhat low accuracy. Interestingly, in the early build of GO used during the US vs Euro faceoff, the model featured a Meprolight red dot sight attached to the top of the handguard, which acted like the scopes on the Steyr AUG A3 and SIG556; in the final game, this weapon does not feature the sight, though its kill icon did until it was removed in a later update.

For whatever reason, the rifle on the ACE 22's "Expert" achievement and its HUD icon is the earlier IMI Galil SAR. Since the removal of achievements in CS2, the former error is no longer visible.

IWI Galil ACE 22 - 5.56x45mm NATO

IMI Galil SAR - 5.56x45mm NATO

The Galil ACE 22's model. Another somewhat worn-looking model, with a notable patch of rust on the stock.

In the midst of a vault robbery, a bank robber draws his ACE 22 with a sharp tug of the charging handle. Note the HUD icon, with a rather distinctly different stock and profile from the weapon it's supposed to represent.

He then settles down and stands guard. Say, does a well-dressed man with a Galil robbing a bank remind you of anything?

Examining the rifle, while demonstrating a complete lack of trigger discipline.

The other side of the Galil; while the chunk missing from the bolt may seem like a modeling error, it's actually just what ACE bolts look like.

Redecorating the inside of the bank with the aid of some 5.56mm rounds. A bit of a lost cause, truth be told; no matter how much "redecorating" you do, you still won't be able make it any less familiar.

Removing an empty magazine. For some reason, despite having a 35-round capacity, the Galil's reserve ammo count is 90 rounds like the rest of the assault rifles, leaving the wielder with two-and-four-sevenths spare magazines.

Loading a "new" magazine; as in many games, the weapon model only includes one magazine, so the empty and full mags are one and the same. This is normally hidden by the edge of the screen, though a sufficiently high FOV can reveal the trick.

Yanking the charging handle, and watching the dustcover slide downward accordingly.

Counter-Strike 2

The ACE 22 in the inventory.

SIG-Sauer SIG556 HOLO

A SIG-Sauer SIG556 HOLO with a usable Trijicon ACOG (incorrectly referred to in-game as the "SG 553") replaces the previous games' SG 552, being the Terrorists' scoped assault rifle. It fires in full-auto, while most real SIG556s are semi-auto only (though select-fire versions exist for the military/LE); being a terrorist-only weapon, it could be argued that this was instead an illegally-preformed full-auto conversion. Compared to the AKM, it fires faster, is more accurate, has the evident advantages of a scope, and is the only weapon in the entire game to completely ignore armor, with the only downsides being its somewhat strange up-right recoil, its slightly higher price ($3,000 versus the AK's $2,700), and its marginally lower damage (negated completely by the armor advantage, which applies in nearly all cases, since almost any round where rifles are being bought is one where armor is a factor).

SIG-Sauer SIG556 HOLO with Trijicon ACOG scope - 5.56x45mm NATO

The SIG556 HOLO in the inventory model viewer. Another heavily-worn model; impressively enough, even the gas tube is worn down to the bare metal.

Conducting bombsite overwatch on gd_rialto, a terrorist draws his SIG556 with a sharp yank of the charging handle.

He then does the Devil's work, and stands idle. Note that the scope has (unusable) backup iron sights mounted on top, a rear aperture and a front post.

Exorcising himself, he quickly sets about doing something. "Something", in this case, being a quick look over the left side of his rifle...

...followed by the right side.

Thinking he spotted his demon lurking around in a shop, the terrorist panic-sprays most of the bridge with non-armor-acknowledging 5.56.

Looking through the scope (much the same as the AUG's, complete with magnification that somehow stretches outside the actual scope) to get a better view. The rifle's front sight used to be flipped up; when the scope function changed from being a simple screen zoom to having this animation, it was folded down to avoid blocking the view, though the rifle's various icons still show it flipped up.

Performing a quick reload in case any other demons try some funny business - the old magazine comes out...

...the new one comes in...

...and the charging handle gets pulled, the rifle's user apparently still not being on speaking terms with the bolt release.

Counter-Strike 2

The SIG556's new model. Note that the safety is now properly off.

Sniper Rifles

As in many games, the sniper rifles in GO lack a hipfire crosshair. Additionally, unlike prior games in the series, players cannot quick scope easily and reliably; while using a sniper rifle's scope, there is a short amount of time in which the screen has to clear up, and whilst moving the scope will sway. This serves to make sniper rifles less suited to aggressive playstyles, and push them more towards the stationary, defensive role that they were originally meant to fulfill. Not that this stops some people from trying.

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare is featured in-game (replacing the Arctic Warfare Magnum seen in earlier games); true to its reputation, it has very high accuracy and power (capable of killing a full-health enemy with armor in a single hit to the torso, regardless of distance - even through some walls), but is heavy and slow to use. It can be identified as an original AW rather than the AWM seen in previous games by its shorter magazine, smaller ejection port, and smooth, non-fluted barrel. As in some versions of older CS games (and the files of the retail versions, which instead used the generic moniker "Magnum Sniper Rifle"), it is still incorrectly referred to as the "AWP" (a name which refers to the Arctic Warfare Police, a variant with a black stock and shorter, brakeless barrel), though the capacity is for once correct for the modeled weapon.

The AW is described as using .338 Lapua Magnum in the game's files; this is correct for the AWM, but not the AW or the AWP. The Arctic Warfare awards 66% less money on a kill than other weapons, giving only $100 as opposed to the standard $300 ($50/$150 in Casual Mode); this, coupled with its exorbitant $4,750 price tag, makes the AW a rather substantial financial risk for a team to take, though its sheer power can certainly make up for it in the right hands.

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare - 7.62x51mm NATO

An actual Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Police, for comparison - 7.62x51mm NATO

Inspecting the AW's model, which shows off its true identity rather blatantly. Note the folded bipod; this is never used in-game.

Vowing to defend de_cbble's castle to the very end, a GSG9 operative watches an angle with his Arctic Warfare.

Growing bored, he takes a look at the rifle's left side...

...and, after a fair bit of ogling, the right one.

Taking a look through the scope; this simple crosshair is used for all of the game's sniper rifles. This is its lower zoom setting...

...and this is the higher one.

Cycling the AW's bolt, in a completely different part of the map; note that the receiver is missing some polygons, something which can only really be seen when the bolt is open.

Curiously, a subtly different animation is used when the rifle is drawn; note that the muzzle is directed slightly further upwards, and the bolt is pulled a bit further back (while not visible here, the animation also has less of a distinct pause between opening and closing the bolt).

Slamming a new (empty) magazine into the Arctic Warfare, clipping it into the side of the magwell ever so subtly in the process.

This is followed by yet another distinct bolt-cycling animation, this time with the rifle pointed downwards. Note the 10-round capacity on the HUD; the AW originally had a correct capacity of 10 rounds per magazine, but an update in late 2022 changed this to an underloaded 5 rounds.

Wasting one of these new, fresh rounds by firing it off at nothing in particular. At full size, a bullet impact can just be made out on the far wall of the courtyard.

Cornered and alone, BOT Kyle backs himself up against a wall, and prepares to make his stand.

A counter-terrorist examines a bit of graffiti on Mirage that features the AW prominently. This was put in place to commemorate a moment in a professional competitive game; pro player "coldzera" managed 4 kills with the AW in this location, 3 of which were made whilst unscoped and jumping. Note how it lacks a bolt handle.

Another piece of commemorative graffiti on Cache, this one for the player "s1mple" and his round-ending double no-scope from this location.

A third (and rather silly-looking) piece of graffiti on the original version of Dust 2, meant to represent a moment wherein the pro team "Fnatic" bought 4 AWs and watched this angle with them.

Counter-Strike 2

The AW being inspected in the model viewer.

Steyr SSG 08

A Steyr SSG 08 is included, replacing the Steyr Scout of the previous installments in the series as a cheap ($1,700), lightweight, quick-handling sniper rifle with decent damage and penetration; many players (not to mention the game's own "Flying Scoutsman" mode) opt to refer to it as its predecessor. It holds 10 rounds, with an impressive 90 in reserve; this effectively grants it unlimited ammunition, since it fires at 48 RPM and takes 3.7 seconds to reload, making a full dump of every available round take 2 minutes and 38.3 seconds, 3.3 seconds longer than the maximum length of a round in Competitive mode (1:55 default plus a 40-second bomb timer totaling 2:35, not counting the extra few seconds after the official end).

Steyr SSG 08 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Inspecting the model of the SSG 08. Note the gray camo stock; this was initially flat gray in the earliest builds (much like the Scout), before one of the Beta's updates made it flat black, and a subsequent one gave it this unique look.

Somewhat less unique are the weapon's animations, all of which are recycled from the Arctic Warfare, including this draw animation.

Consequently, this watchful counter-terrorist on de_train finds himself less "holding" his rifle and more "gently encouraging" it.

Examining the SSG-08's left side...

...and the right one.

Throwing a round across the room. Just 'cause.

Ejecting the resultant case; unlike many games, the spent casing actually has an appropriate struck primer.

Taking a look through the scope at an oh-so-temptingly shootable-looking lock. Must... resist... urge...

Having done something of which He Is Not Proud, our watchful guardian quickly gets rid of the old, incriminating magazine...

...and slaps in a new one, assured that the old magazine will never be found in his inexplicable bag of eight additional ones.

This being a rifle built on the AW's animations, the reloading routine is completed with a third, distinct bolt-cycling animation. As is this section.

Counter-Strike 2

The updated SSG 08 in the model viewer.

Heckler & Koch G3SG/1

As in previous games, the Heckler & Koch G3SG/1 fills the role of the Terrorists' DMR, opposite the CTs' FN SSR. It has olive drab furniture and lacks a bipod. Presumably for balance reasons, the weapon's full-auto fire rate is significantly reduced in-game (240 RPM versus the real steel's 500-600), to the point where it seems like rapid semi-auto; incidentally, the player character uses it in semi-auto, and visibly pulls the trigger repeatedly when the player holds down the fire key for full-auto fire.

At $5,000, it is the second-most expensive weapon available to the Terrorists, and is quite heavy, though its excellent accuracy, damage (a consistent 2-shot kill, or one in the head, regardless of armor), wall-penetration capabilities, and volume of fire compared to other sniper rifles make it incredibly effective for those willing to take the financial risk. For no discernible reason, it comes with 90 rounds in reserve by default, which translates to exactly 4 full magazines and one half-loaded one.

Heckler & Koch G3SG/1 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Inspecting the G3SG/1's model. Note the F-E-S selector markings instead of the actual weapon's S-E-F. This was likely caused by the weapon being modeled with the safety on; rather than changing the model, Valve decided to change the texture, such that what was formerly "safe" is now "auto".

Bizarrely, the markings on the right side are still S-E-F; one can only assume that the developers forgot, since this side of the weapon is seldom seen in normal gameplay.

Drawing the G3SG/1 with a quick yank of the charging handle...

...which apparently didn't get the memo that it's supposed to fold.

Looking through the scope at one of the rifle's captive brethren.

Lashing out in a fit of rage at the injustice of this world, and attempting to free the caged rifle, barely even noticing the incorrect reciprocating charging handle.

The rifles being a static part of de_cache's scenery, this attempt is met with little success. Though the fact that the rifle's magazine apparently isn't loaded probably didn't help.

Chambering one of these nonexistent rounds with a pull of the eternally-disobedient charging handle.

Examining the left side of the G3SG/1...

...and, in keeping with its desire to defy absolutely every convention known to man, the top of the scope; the weapon's right side is never seen in first-person.

Counter-Strike 2

The G3SG/1 in the inventory preview. The fire selector has now been fixed, being pointed at full-auto and with the proper S-E-F markings on both sides of the gun.

FN SSR

The FN SSR (Sniper Support Rifle) is included as the Counter-Terrorists' automatic DMR, designated as the "SCAR-20", a mixture of the SCAR family name, and the weapon's U.S. military designation of "Mk. 20 Mod. 0". Save for a slight difference in hip fire accuracy and a larger one in reload speed (the G3SG/1 being slightly more accurate when firing without aiming, but taking virtual millennia to reload), the CTs' SCAR and the Terrorists' G3SG/1 are nearly statistically identical in-game, astronomical price and nonsensical ammo count included.

FN SSR - 7.62x51mm NATO

The FN SSR in the inventory model viewer. While still clearly used, the SSR is one of the game's less battered-up weapons. It also has a non-standard, M16A2-type pistol grip.

Loafing around in cs_agency, an FBI operative draws his SSR, apparently seeing fit to vaguely encourage the charging handle to move backwards instead of actually pulling it.

With this done, he proceeds to engage in yet more loafing.

Bored, he uses the scope's higher magnification level to carefully examine a suspicious-looking potted plant.

Before taking the shot, he double-checks to make sure that his rifle's safety is off, which it both is and isn't; as with the G3SG/1, the selector lever is pointed to where "S" should be, but that position has instead been re-marked "A". This is bizarre it and of itself; the SSR normally uses a 2-position safe/semi trigger group, so one would have attach a normal SCAR-H lower receiver to an SSR upper to achieve this.

Which might be why the upper and lower receivers aren't the same color, come to think of it.

Satisfied with his inspection, the FBI operative takes the shot. Or rather, the shots, since aiming apparently isn't a part of this whole ordeal anymore.

Having emptied his magazine, the CT dumps it out, while noting the complete lack of a follower.

Next, he inserts what is most certainly a new, fresh, ammunition-filled magazine, and absolutely not just the same mag that he dropped off of the bottom of the screen for a few seconds.

And, finally, an open-palmed smack of the bolt release; barring the automagically self-locking charging handle, this animation is lifted directly from the Mk. 18 Mod 0.

Counter-Strike 2

The SSR in CS2.

Shotguns

As above with the submachine guns, shotguns award extra money on kills, in this case giving out 3x the money ($900 in Competitive Mode and $450 in Casual Mode).

Benelli Nova Tactical

The Benelli Nova Tactical is an available pump-action shotgun, replacing the previous games' Benelli M3. Simply called the "Nova", it has the tightest spread of all the game's shotguns; it's also the cheapest, costing a mere $1,050, though its poor fire-rate and armor penetration make it less effective against enemies who aren't equally strapped for cash. Being the M3's successor, it holds 8 rounds, even though the model has a standard 4-round tube magazine.

Benelli Nova Tactical - 12 gauge

Inspecting the Nova's model. At full size, the trademark on the side of the receiver can be seen; this reads "[!] BENETTI" on the first line, an obvious spoof of the correct "Benelli", and "BENETTI ARMS URBINO MADE IN ITALY" on the much harder to see second line, with Urbino being the real location of Benelli's headquarters.

The Nova Tactical in first-person.

Firing the Nova at a glass observation booth to protest it not being enterable, and creating an impressive shower of sparks in the process.

Following this somewhat pointless expression of anger, our misguided protestor ejects a shell. Note that the shotgun is held at an angle when ejecting spent shells...

...as opposed to when it's drawn (or reloaded), where it's held level.

Inspecting the Nova; the shotgun's false trademarks can also be seen here, albeit with some difficulty (though certain skins make it easier).

The shotgun's other side. What appears at first to be an odd discoloration on the bolt is actually the inside of the ejection port, as the bolt is not fully in battery for some reason.

Celebrating a victory over absolutely nothing by cramming twice as many shells into the magazine tube as it can actually hold.

Counter-Strike 2

The Nova in CS2's inventory.

Benelli M4 Super 90

The Benelli M4 Super 90 returns from prior CS games, now known as the "XM1014" (its US military designation during trials; once it was actually adopted, it became known as the "M1014"). It is the most expensive shotgun in the game (costing $2,000); conversely, it is also the weakest, dealing less damage per pellet than its competitors and firing 6 pellets per shot instead of the usual 8 or 9. However, it balances this out with a decent capacity (a correct 7 rounds), relatively good accuracy, and the highest rate of fire in its class by a substantial margin at 171 RPM. Interestingly, while both its description and its in-game behavior would suggest that it is erroneously depicted as fully-automatic (i.e. holding down M1 produces continuous fire), its animations show the player character pulling the trigger with each shot; this, coupled with the low rate of fire, suggest it to (correctly) be semi-automatic in-game.

Benelli M4 Super 90 - 12 gauge

Inspecting the M4 Super 90. Note the magazine tube; while it, unlike many games, is an appropriate 7-shot tube, it appears to be a 4-shot civilian tube with an OEM extension rather than a factory 7-rounder (compare with the image above).

An IDF operative drawing his XM1014, perched high atop a parked HMVW on de_shortdust. Unlike the game's other weapons, this is simply a draw animation, with no extra cocking required. Note the correctly modeled cuts in the receiver extension tube, which are correctly present for the stock to collapse into multiple positions.

Idling with the shotgun.

Inspecting the Benelli starts out with a (blink-and-you'll-miss-it) shell falling out the bottom of the receiver for some reason...

...followed by a display of some downright appalling trigger discipline...

...and, finally, a charging handle that everyone seems to have forgotten about.

Growing restless, the operative decides to conduct the world's most pointless door breaching exercise.

Reloading the XM1014. While the extra shells in the hand look neat, they're just for show; the actual shell being loaded is separate from the 3 in the hand, which are always present regardless of how many the player character needs and/or has. They also have struck primers and lack rims, as with the other shotguns; topping this all off is the fact that the bolt is never racked at any point in this animation, even when the weapon runs empty, which'd realistically render it unable to fire (since there'd be no round chambered).

A close look at the Benelli outside of the player character's hands reveals some interesting things; namely, there's a shell sitting on top of the loading gate...

...and that bots seem to have as much difficulty understanding the concept of a pistol grip on a shotgun as they do navigating small rooms with furniture in them.

Counter-Strike 2

The M4 Super 90 in CS2.

Remington 870

A sawed-off Remington 870 is the second pump-action shotgun featured in-game, available to the Terrorist faction; in-game, it is referred to simply as the "Sawed-Off". It offers a low cost (only $1,100), an unrealistically high capacity for a sawed-off shotgun (7 rounds instead of 4 for this length of tube), and the highest damage in its class, but fire rate is rather low, its weight is somehow higher than any of the other shotguns, and it has the poorest accuracy and lowest range of any firearm in the game, making it lethal in close quarters but ineffective at distance.

Remington 870 with sawn-off barrel and stock - 12 gauge

The Remington 870 in the inventory model viewer; unlike the image above, a portion of the stock is retained on this version, forming a bell shape at the base of the grip.

Drawing the truncated 870 on ar_shoots, a process which consists of a dramatic over-the-shoulder pull, followed by a rack of the pump.

Suddenly realizing how alone he is in the world, the pirate stares off into the distance idly with his sawn-off.

Quickly trying to avert his focus, the pirate decides to take a look at his shotgun. One of the game's more battered-up weapons, with visible wear marks, scratches, and light surface rust all over.

Flipping the 870 over to the other side, showing off its unique one-handed inspection pose.

Blasting away at a... small, corrugated metal hut-thing? I guess?

Working the action. Note that, despite the pump not being all the way back, a spent shell has already been ejected; the effect seems to trigger a few frames too early.

Loading in some shells. It's a bit hard to see here, but the text on the side of the receiver reads "Ralphington 808 EXPRESS MAGNUM", a copyright-dodging play on the real weapon's name. The use of magnum (i.e. 3-inch, or 76mm) 12 gauge shells would explain the weapon's tremendous damage, but renders the 7-round capacity all the more ludicrous.

The reload, regardless of whether or not it was from empty, is concluded with another pump, albeit a bit less dramatic than those of the drawing and firing animations.

Counter-Strike 2

The new shorty 870 in the inventory.

Techno Arms MAG-7

The Techno Arms MAG-7 appears in-game as the "MAG-7", serving as the CT equivalent to the Terrorists' sawed-off Remington 870 (i.e. a short-ranged, slow-firing, hard-hitting shotgun); while its capacity is lower than the Sawed-Off's (an appropriate 5 rounds, the lowest of all of the game's shotguns - this makes its reserve ammo count of 32 a bit odd), it is magazine-fed, making empty reloads shorter at the cost of longer partial reloads. It is also slightly more expensive (costing $1,300), does slightly less damage (though not enough so to make any particularly noticeable difference), is slightly lighter, and has notably better accuracy (which makes sense; much of the fabled inaccuracy of short-barreled shotguns comes from the poor state of the muzzle crown created by the process of sawing down the barrel, and professionally-manufactured short-barreled shotguns can be nearly as accurate as longer-barreled ones). Its high damage has more to do with game balance than any sort of logic, however; as normal shotgun shells (typically 2.75 inches, or 70mm) are too long to reasonably fit in a pistol-grip-inserted magazine and still leave the resultant weapon as something that normally-sized human hands can manipulate, the MAG-7 instead uses proprietary 2.36-inch (60mm) shells, with less power than the standard 2 3/4-inch ones.

Techno Arms MAG-7 - 12 gauge

The MAG-7 in the inventory model viewer. While a bit less beaten-up than most of the other shotguns, there are still some obvious wear marks - it's been heavily, yet respectfully, used.

Out on de_sugarcane, a GIGN operative draws his MAG-7 with a dramatic rack of the pump.

He then realizes that he's facing in the complete wrong direction.

Now understandably a bit doubtful of himself, the operative checks to make sure that he's remembered to turn his shotgun's safety off.

And that he hasn't left its bolt at home.

Finding all his canards in a row, he's soon blasting a fence with buckshot, and creating a suitably Hollywood-esque shower of sparks in the process.

Ejecting a shell, which looks a bit too long for something that's supposed to be 60mm.

Pulling out an empty magazine...

...replacing it with a fresh one (which is, incidentally, also empty)...

...and finishing things off with a far less dramatic cycle of the pump handle. Note the nonexistent trigger discipline; this is actually correct, as the MAG-7's pump handle overlaps its trigger guard, so leaving one's finger alongside the trigger guard while working the action could prove to be exceptionally painful.

Counter-Strike 2

Previewing the MAG-7.

Machine Guns

The LMGs in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive provide exceptional suppression due to their high ammo capacity of 100 or 150 rounds, but have high recoil and are highly uncontrollable during sustained fire. They also are hindered by their long reload times.

FN M249 SAW

The M249 SAW is an available LMG, returning from the previous games; unlike previous games, however, the M249 in GO has a stock. At $5,200, it is the most expensive weapon in the game (the Negev below once was, until its price was cut), and one of the most seldom-bought as a consequence. While its heavy weight and recoil, its slow reload, and the aforementioned price tag discourage most potential users, its massive capacity (100 rounds, half of what the modeled belt box is actually supposed to hold) makes it an excellent choice for suppressing and holding angles - or, at least, it would be, if the less-than-a-third-of-the-price Negev didn't exist.

The M249 also serves as the basis for the sentry guns encountered in the Danger Zone gamemode; these have unlimited ammunition, despite their finitely-sized belt boxes.

FN M249 SAW with 200 round belt box - 5.56x45mm NATO

Examining the M249's model; as with many of the game's weapons, it looks a bit worse for wear.

An SAS operative silently watches an apartment burn while holding an M249.

Adding insult to property damage, and dumping dozens upon dozens of rounds of 5.56 into the building. Note that, in a nice touch of detail, the belt visibly shortens as the gun runs out of ammo.

Reloading the SAW is a rather involved process; it starts with the player character opening the feed tray cover (with their hand actually in the correct position to hit the latches holding it shut, unlike many FPS characters).

Next, the old belt box is removed; this animation was evidently not designed with the depleting belt in mind.

Following this, a new belt box is attached...

...the fresh belt is seated into the feed tray...

...the feed tray cover is slammed shut...

...and, finally, the charging handle is pulled. This exact animation is also used when the weapon is drawn.

Reloading complete, the operative advances, only to encounter something not even the might of the M249 can destroy.

One of the Danger Zone's sentry guns. What's that old expression, again? "Don't bring a hammer to a gunfight?"

Later, a substantially better-equipped character happens upon a destroyed sentry gun...

...the process of which apparently severs the weapon cleanly in two where the barrel meets the receiver.

Counter-Strike 2

The updated M249 in CS2.

IMI Negev Commando

The IMI Negev Commando is a new LMG available in CS:GO, referred to in-game as the "Negev". Originally, the Negev had a higher ROF than the M249, but did less damage, had larger spread, and was the most expensive weapon in the game at $5,700. The weapon was later reworked with "suppressive" gameplay elements. Specifically, the recoil pattern of the Negev homes in onto a point slightly above the player's crosshair after 10 or more (ludicrously inaccurate) shots, unlike the recoil patterns for most other weapons which wildly fly from left to right. This allows it to shoot extremely accurately as long as the player does not move and prepares the weapon for firing beforehand. Its rate of fire was also cut from 1,000 RPM to just 800, and its price was slashed to $2,000, then again to a measly $1,700.

IMI Negev Commando with 200-round cloth ammo bag and Meprolight red dot sight - 5.56x45mm NATO

The IMI Negev in the inventory model viewer; like the M249, it's rather worn and battered, with some visible surface rust.

Guarding a peaceful picnic on de_overpass, a GSG-9 operative draws his Negev with a dramatic yank of the charging handle. As opposed to the manual forward-riding of the M249's charging handle, the Negev's is simply let go, and returns to battery of its own accord.

This guard duty post would ultimately prove to be a bit pointless, since no terrorists actually showed up. Nor did anybody else.

Growing bored, the operative decides to take a look at his LMG. Notably, the Negev is one of the few weapons in Global Offensive with non-obfuscated trademarks.

The Negev's other side; the short barrel shows this to be the Commando variant.

Lashing out in anger at the multicolored balloons for triggering his latex allergies, the operative hoses down much of the picnic area in 5.56. Note that, like its Belgian classmate, the Israeli MG's belt visibly shortens as its remaining ammunition depletes.

Having successfully exhausted his entire 150-round belt, the operative begins a rather lengthy reload, starting with him popping open the feed tray cover.

Next, he removes the old ammo box; another trait shared with the M249 is the evident lack of consideration in this phase of the animation for the fact that the belt can deplete.

Following this, a fresh belt box is brought in, complete with a locking block on top that is apparently painted in Vantablack.

The new belt is then laid into the feed tray...

...the feed tray cover finally gets some closure...

...and the charging handle gets racked again. Back to business as usual.

Counter-Strike 2

The Negev's model in CS2.

Grenades/Explosives

As with previous games, players may only hold one grenade of each type (except Flashbangs, of which they can hold 2). In Casual Mode, players may hold three grenades, while in Competitive Mode they may hold four.

M112 C4 Demolition Charge

The primary focus of "Defuse" and "Demolition" maps is, as the name would suggest, a bomb. This bomb, referred to in-game as the "C4 Explosive", consists of 3 M112 C4 Demolition Charges (a US-issued pre-packaged block of C4) rigged to an improvised electronic detonator. The bomb is randomly issued to one Terrorist at the start of a round of either mode; it can only be placed on the ground, and only within specific, pre-defined areas known as "bomb sites" (of which there are two in Defuse mode, and only one in Demolition). Once planted, the C4 beeps repeatedly, with a small red light flashing in time (presumably to make it more apparent where the bomb is); it will explode within 40 seconds (formerly 45) unless a Counter-Terrorist defuses it, a process which takes 10 seconds (or 5 with the purchasable "Defuse Kit" item). For balance reasons, Counter-Terrorists cannot pick up the C4 if it is dropped, nobody can pick it up once it has been planted, gunshots and grenade explosions fail to move it when it is dropped, and it is ostensibly impossible to get rid of; areas where other objects can get stuck out of reach are frequently patched so as to make them impassible to C4, and throwing it outside of the map's boundaries (e.g. off the edge of de_vertigo's tower) will result in it teleporting back within the playable area.

C4 charges are also available in Danger Zone; there, they can be placed anywhere, by anyone, at any time.

M112 C4 Demolition Charge

Inspecting the bomb in the inventory model viewer; at full size, the markings denoting the C4 charges as M112s can be clearly seen.

Out on de_seaside, a Terrorist looks at a dropped C4 Explosive; this flashing white light doesn't seem to come from anywhere in particular, and is primarily meant to make dropped bombs easier to find.

Upon picking it up, the terrorist finds that the ghostly light acknowledges his presence, and accordingly shuts off.

Planting the bomb requires that the wielder crouch; the process starts with them opening and flipping a covered switch...

...and then punching in a code. This code is always the same - "7355608" - and appears in a number of other places in-game, particularly on weapon skins.

Interestingly, this code changes back to a bunch of asterisks the instant that the bomb is planted, despite it remaining visible for the entire planting animation; this could possibly be an attempt at concealing the code, although it might be smarter not to reveal the exact number of digits that it contains.

Also, the ghostly sourceless light returns with a red-stained vengeance.

Once it reaches the end of its 40-second countdown, the beeping becomes noticeably higher-pitched, and the light turns green.

It then creates a spectacularly massive explosion. This large, fiery blast is generally handwaved by the presence of other explosives in the bomb sites (crates of fertilizer, boxes of artillery shells, etc.) which are conspicuously untouched by the blast. They also do the exact same thing in Danger Zone, regardless of where they're planted.

Meanwhile, over in de_breach, the C4 is reaching its other potential outcome: defusal. After nearly two decades of defusing bombs by staring them into submission, an update added this small device (rather resembling an electrical multimeter) which attaches itself to the bomb with two wires, in two completely arbitrary locations; it's not exactly clear what this device is supposed to be doing, but it's better than nothing. Which is exactly what happens in first-person, for the record.

Interestingly, the game's reveal trailer showed an entirely different model for the C4, with a larger, more complex detonator system and a timer display on its screen instead of a code display. Also note the wire cutters; while visually present as part of the Defuse Kit, they're never directly used in-game.

Counter-Strike 2

Viewing the CS2 C4 in the inventory.

M67 Hand Grenade

The M67 hand grenade is present in the game, being referred to as the "HE Grenade", despite the actual M67 being a fragmentation grenade; this is supported by their in-game behavior, as they lack any sort of fragmentation effect, relying solely on the explosion itself to deal damage. Each one costs $300, and serves more to do early-round chip damage or to flush out wounded enemies than as an outright killing tool; in fact, the only way to actually kill an uninjured (and unarmored) enemy with a single grenade is to hit them directly, then have the grenade go off at their chest height.

M67 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

The grenade-focused area of the training course includes this rather strange box of M67s; ignoring the serious safety/security risks of just leaving live hand grenades lying around, one has to wonder why so many of them are violating the laws of physics. These never deplete, and serve as an infinite source of grenades to throw.

Holding a baseball, the trainee turns to look at his field.

Performing an action that many games seem to forget about (i.e. pulling out the pin)...

...and letting a grenade fly.

The results are fairly predictable, if a bit misleading as to how effective the grenades actually are in-game.

Pressing the alternate fire key with a grenade will result in a slow underhand toss; while it makes sense with some of the less-lethal grenades, it's a bit more concerning with an explosive one.

Fortunately, the grenades' only means of producing shrapnel is to throw around props (which don't deal damage anyway), so this is slightly less unsafe than it would seem (which explains why there are targets so close to the throwing point). Note the spherical blast wave effect, which presumably helps to reinforce the idea that these are purely HE grenades, and not frag grenades.

Interestingly, on cs_militia (where it's perpetually Christmas for some reason), there's an unusable M67 in the leftmost fireplace-hung stocking, alongside a pristine "Lore"-skinned Bayonet, one of the optional reskins of the default knife.

M84 Stun Grenade

Unlike previous games, where the flashbangs were simply re-textured M7 CS gas grenades or M18 smoke grenades, Global Offensive's flashes are more appropriately modeled as M84 stun grenades (albeit with one pin instead of two, as is common in games). Costing only $200, the M84 is an excellent tool for entering an occupied area, temporarily blinding any nearby enemies (or teammates, if you're not careful) that look at the explosion, and "deafening" (i.e. replacing all audio with a high-pitched ringing sound) anyone caught in the blast. Uniquely, two flashbangs can be carried at once in Competitive mode, but not in any other gamemode.

M84 stun grenade.

Biding time in a bathroom on de_safehouse, a devious terrorist decides to take the "cherry bomb in a toilet" prank up a notch or seven.

Giggling excitedly, he yanks out the pin...

...which does... this...

...and throws the grenade in a manner which isn't particularly conducive to anything worthwhile.

Realizing his mistake, the terrorist tries again, this time with an underhanded toss. To get an idea of what the grenade's effect looks like, set your cell phone's lock screen to pure, solid white, turn your brightness all the way up, and go to bed with an alarm set for 3:52 in the morning.

Decoy Grenade

Decoy grenades are one of GO's new additions to the Counter-Strike series. They are identical to flashbangs in shape (only differing in paint scheme, with an orange center band instead of a blue-green one), cost a measly $50 (the single cheapest item in the game) and serve more to deceive enemies than to directly damage or impede them. When dropped, they make the same sounds as an actual flashbang; coupled with their identical silhouette, this can trick enemies into averting their eyes, allowing for faster-than-expected rushes. Following this, they will sporadically create sparks and smoke, whilst playing the firing sound effect of the most powerful weapon that the user had on their person upon throwing the grenade; this creates an enemy mark on the opposing teams' radars (regardless of whether or not anyone has a line of sight to it, unlike an actual player). After around 15 seconds of this, the grenade explodes, dealing a maximum of 5 damage in a minuscule radius; in spite of this, it creates a disproportionately loud noise and large visual blast effect.

Guarding a hostage in a rather dingy-looking bathroom on cs_milita, a terrorist brandishes his decoy.

A late frame in the pin-pulling animation (shared between all of the game's grenades, rather obviously barring the Molotov Cocktail); at full size, it can be seen that the pin correctly has split wires extending to either side, which serve to help securely hold it in place. Unfortunately, this also means it's an error, since the way that these work is that they have to be bent flat while pulling out the pin.

Undeterred by this, the terrorist decides to try and break a gunshot-sensitive section of wall with his decoy's fake gunshots.

For a number of rather obvious reasons, this doesn't work, leaving the grenade sparking and "shooting" on the bathroom's tiled floor.

After engaging in a bit of *ahem* healthy, therapeutic release of anger, the terrorist gently tosses another decoy that he illegitimately acquired onto the floor...

...and watches its simultaneously over- and under-whelming explosion.

Model 5210 Smoke Grenade

Replacing prior games' retextured M7 CS gas grenades and M18 smoke grenades, the smoke grenades in Global Offensive are Model 5210 Smoke Grenades. Costing $300, smoke grenades are a critical tool for blocking enemy lines of sight, as well as one's own movements and/or hiding spots. They can also extinguish flames from incendiary grenades and Molotov cocktails; while a bit more on the "gamey" side of things in terms of its reliability and speed, this does make some sense, as the smoke could serve to displace nearby oxygen, cutting off the fire's supply. This does not, however, explain how player characters themselves can stand in smoke indefinitely without any problems breathing whatsoever.

Model 5210 White Smoke Grenade

Admiring de_nuke's underground reactor room, a counter-terrorist clutches his Model 5210.

Deciding that he should be the only one who can bear witness to such beauty, the operative pulls the pin...

...and lets a grenade fly. Note that the pin and spoon are correctly shown as absent on the thrown model; interestingly enough, the area underneath where the spoon would normally sit is slightly darker than the rest of the grenade, as if it were always in the spoon's shadow.

The smoke cloud produced by a grenade; despite being labeled as white smoke grenades, the smoke that they release in-game is gray. It lasts for 18 seconds, and is released near-instantaneously, creating the pressure wave effect seen here for some reason.

Realizing that he's made himself unable to see the reactor in the process, the counter-terrorist sadly tosses another smoke on the ground; this is one of the only grenades where this function is actually particularly useful.

Counter-Strike 2

In CS2, smoke grenades have two different skins depending on the team that bought the grenade. In addition, the smoke itself is also coloured differently depending on team, with smoke from CT-bought grenades being tinted slightly blue, and Terrorist smokes likewise tinted slightly orange.

Incendiary Grenade

The CTs' incendiary grenades share a model with the Model 5210 smokes, but use different textures that is an obfuscated version of the design used on AN/M14 incendiary grenades. Incendiary grenades provide incremental damage to the target whilst in the flame, but their biggest appeal is the ability to detour and even hold back the opposing team from approaching a certain area for about 10 seconds. When used in conjunction with the rest of one's team, it is possible to keep the opposing team from approaching a certain area for almost a minute. The Terrorist team uses nearly functionally-identical Molotov cocktails, which cost $200 less ($400 instead of the incendiaries' $600 price tag). Due to this functional identicality, the incendiary grenades oddly detonate on impact, and do so with a glass-breaking sound. Their behavior as antipersonnel/area-denial munitions is also not really in line with the purpose of most modern incendiary grenades; the AN/M14, for instance, is not so much a proper grenade as it is a convenient, pre-packaged can of thermite meant for destroying enemy equipment.

AN/M14 incendiary grenade, for comparison.

Out in the cold on cs_office, an FBI SWAT member eyes a suspicious-looking snowman while holding his not-an-AN/M14.

Taking no chances, he pulls out the pin...

...and makes Frosty a fair bit less so. Note the fire coming out of the top of the grenade, presumably a side-effect of it using the Molotovs' code as a base.

Watching the world burn, in a manner rather inconsistent with how the AN/M14 is supposed to work.

The CT then makes a rather serious miscalculation. Note that, in spite of the animation of it being pulled, the thrown model of the incendiary grenade still has a pin and a spoon; this may be another result of it sharing code with the Molotovs.

Other

Advanced Taser M26

A fictional model of Taser known as the "Zeus x27", based on the Advanced Taser M26, is available to both teams, bought from the "Gear" buy menu screen (alongside other equipment, such as body armor and helmets) and equipped in the same slot as the knife (pressing the knife slot key switches between the knife and the Taser). It costs $200, and awards exactly zero for a kill, the only weapon in the entire game with such a property. Its behavior in-game is somewhat bizarre; compared to an actual Taser, it has an incredibly short effective range (only being able to hit enemies within roughly the same distance as a knife); outside of a very small window at the extreme edge of its range where it will deal heavy, yet non-fatal damage, it is a guaranteed instant kill upon use. After said use, it is discarded immediately, lacking any sort of ability to reload. Prior to a patch, the Zeus couldn't be bought in Competitive mode; prior to another, later one, the Zeus could be picked up through walls when dropped, allowing it to be used as a way of detecting hiding enemies.

A rather strange rechargable version was available in "Stab Stab Zap" gamemode, active during the Operation Hydra season. On this model, the green decal on the back of the gun was replaced with a charging indicator; after firing, the charging bar emptied and filled back up for 30 seconds, after which it could be fired again. A real taser fires non-reusable darts, and can be reloaded by switching out the cartridge, but this behavior is not emulated by either of the two in-game variants.

Advanced Taser M26

The "Zeus x27" (or "Zuess", if the markings are anything to go by) in the inventory model viewer. The main modifications to the original design are in general profile, being somewhat more pistol-shaped than the original; this was likely done to reuse the existing hand positions for the in-game pistols.

Looking down a sightline rather longer than he's equipped to deal with, a terrorist on cs_assault shows that it doesn't reuse all of the pistols' animations; as it rather obviously doesn't have a slide to rack, the Zeus is simply drawn when selected.

That being said, the idle position is more or less identical. Note the HUD icon, which appears to have been referenced from an actual M26.

Firing the x27 at nothing in particular; the panels at the front of the cartridge fly out, a bright blue flash appears, and that's about it.

Frying an unsuspecting FBI operative; when fired at an enemy (or anything within range, really), the Zeus produces a visual effect of two bright, glowing lines from muzzle to target, presumably meant to represent a Taser's pair of barbed wires. Exactly why these don't show up when firing into open air isn't really clear, though given its short range, visual effects, and non-non-lethal properties, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that it's actually supposed to be conducting electricity over open air instead of wires.

Once fired, the Zeus is unceremoniously dropped on the floor, with its name appearing whenever the player hovers their crosshair over it up close; despite having just been fired, the two panels at the front of the cartridge are still present and intact.

Counter-Strike 2

The "Zeus" in Counter-Strike 2 is modelled significantly closer to its real counterpart, but with some stylistic features from the original model. Following the "A Call to Arms" update in February 2024, the Zeus now functions like in the Operation Hydra "Stab Stab Zap" mode in all game modes, with a 30-second recharge timer as well as a $100 ($50 in Casual) kill reward.

The Taser in CS2.

Unusable Weapons

Beretta 92FS

A Beretta 92FS is present on a sign on the map Bank.

Beretta 92FS - 9x19mm

A terrorist contemplates the "No Weapons" sign on the side of a bank.

Glock 19

A 3rd-gen compact Glock appears on a sign on the map Office.

Glock 19 - 9x19mm

"No firearms allowed on premises? Aw, shucks. Oh well, I guess we'll just terrorize some other place that lets us bring guns there."

AK-47

An AK-47 appears on the "Tamara" graffiti from the Community Graffiti Box 1 and the sticker of the same name in the Pinups Capsule. In addition, the AK-47 from the original Counter-Strike appears in the "Old School" sticker from the Ambush Sticker Capsule.

Type 3 AK-47 - 7.62x39mm

The "Tamara" graffiti.

The "Old School" sticker.

FN SCAR

The FN SCAR-L does not appear in the game itself, but is featured on the logo.

Third Generation FN SCAR-L - 5.56x45mm NATO

The old Scaleform CSGO intro. Note the game icon; the silhouette of a SCAR Mk.16 can be seen. The older CS logos feature a CT with an MP5 instead, for the record.

French Model 1842 Percussion Musket

A sporterized French Model 1842 Percussion Musket is one of the antique long guns inside a cabinet in the Militia map. This cabinet and the guns inside are reused assets from Counter-Strike: Source.

Sporterized French Model 1842 Percussion Musket - .75 caliber

The French Model 1842 Percussion Musket can be faintly seen in the cabinet in Militia, on the left.

Close up of the cabinet.

Daniel Fraser & Company Drop Block Single Shot Rifle

A Daniel Fraser & Company Drop Block Single Shot Rifle is the other gun inside the same cabinet, right beside the Model 1842 musket.

Daniel Fraser & Company Drop Block Single Shot Rifle - .400/360 Nitro Express

The Daniel Fraser & Company Drop Block Single Shot Rifle can also be faintly seen in the cabinet in Militia, on the right.

Close up of the cabinet.

Browning M2

The Browning M2 is seen mounted on APC environmental props in a few different maps.

Browning M2HB on vehicle mount - .50 BMG

An M2 mounted on an FBI Hostage Rescue Team's APC in Militia.

DShKM

Some technicals can be found as environmental props on a few different maps. They are mounted with low-detail DShKM machine guns.

DShKM on tripod - 12.7x108mm

A terrorist notices the DShKM, and immediately wishes that it was usable.

A close-up, as seen through a scope.

Cannon

Antique blackpowder cannons are seen on the map de_cbble. They are purely decorative, and cannot be used.

Naval cannon - 18th century

A counter-terrorist examines both his CZ-75 Automatic and one of the castle's 2 cannons, both of which are located at Bombsite A.

M7A3 CS Gas Grenade

A representation of the "HE Grenade" from Counter-Strike (which was based on the M7 CS gas grenade) appears in the "Fire in the Hole" sticker from the CS20 Sticker Capsule.

M7A1 CS gas grenade

The "Fire in the Hole" sticker.