All game modes in Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2, the sequel to CS:GO, includes only a limited selection of modes at launch. Here are all the confirmed modes in CS2 so far.

2023 is the year of many new AAA games, but few could’ve predicted that Counter-Strike 2 was going to be on the agenda. The long-awaited sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive looks to tweak and refine every element of CS:GO – a game that remained immensely popular for over a decade.

Valve have been experts when it comes to making well-designed Counter-Strike maps in the past, as well as taking submissions from the community, but it’s also the game’s core modes that are the foundation of its popularity.

So, let’s run through every game mode that is confirmed for Counter-Strike 2.

All Counter-Strike 2 game modes

Only a handful of game modes are going to be available for Counter-Strike 2’s initial beta, with testing being at the forefront of the devs’ priorities.

Once Valve start to pull back the curtain on more modes we’ll update this list.

Premier

Premier is the main game mode of Counter-Strike 2. This is the competitive 5v5 matches made famous in CS:GO, with a pick/ban phase for maps, and an ELO system to show how you stack up against other players.

Premier has now taken over from competitive as the most popular mode, as competitive now has ranks per map, as opposed to one rank for your whole account.

Learn all about how Premier mode and ratings in CS2 work here.

Competitive

Competitive play comes with set rules implemented by the devs that are supposed to mimic the real-life conditions of tournament play between professionals. This mode is first to 13 rounds, with a 12-12 ending in a draw. Friendly Fire is enabled, and the economy is present like it was in CS:GO.

You will need to win 10 games on a map before you recieve a rank. Each rank is now per-map, rather than an overall rank for all maps like in CS:GO.

Casual

Casual is similar to competitive in some ways: there are still two teams, one attacking the bombsites and the other defending. The main difference here is that it is 10v10, and the economy is a bit different. You will also get killcams and be able to spectate anyone, including enemies.

Casual is good if you are new to the CS and want to get a feel for things before jumping into competitive.

Deathmatch

A staple of first-person shooters and a classic game mode that never gets old, Deathmatch is the quintessential FPS experience. In CS, it’s mostly used for warming up and checking out your new skins.

You will be placed in a match lasting 10 minutes, and all weapons are free. All players are equipped with head and body armor. A kill with a gun is worth 11 points, unless you have the bonus weapon, which will give you an extra 5 points per kill.

The player with the most points at the end of the match is crowned victorious.

Workshop

The workshop is where anything goes. Here, you can subscribe to community-made maps and play your own custom games on them.

This includes old versions of maps from CS:GO, remakes of Call of Duty maps like Raid, or practice maps like Recoil Master and aim_botz.

That’s all the Counter-Strike 2 game modes so far, with more likely to be added. There is no Danger Zone yet, and it remains unclear what Valve’s plans are for it yet.

In the meantime, check out even more of our CS2 guides:

Counter-Strike 2: Every confirmed map | Can you play Counter-Strike 2 on console? | Can you play Counter-Strike 2 on Linux or macOS? | All smoke changes in Counter-Strike 2 | What is sub-tick in Counter-Strike 2? | Is Counter-Strike 2 going to be free to play? | Can banned CSGO players play Counter-Strike 2?