Everything you need to know about CSGO crosshair in Counter-Strike 2

We’ve put together everything you know about the CSGO crosshairs so that you can frag out as soon as you are done reading this article.

Counter-Strike CSGO crosshair types, explained

Counter-Strike is infamous for its punishingly difficult weapon spray patterns, and learning them is especially important because just a few bullets can end a gunfight (not to mention the instant-killing headshots in most scenarios). Therefore, any feature that can help you with this aspect of the game is definitely worth checking out.

Static and dynamic crosshairs in CS:GO and CS2

The two main categories of crosshair options in CS2 are static and dynamic. The former stays as-is no matter how the gameplay goes, while the latter expands and contracts whenever you walk or run to indicate the added inaccuracy caused by your movement.

In general, almost all Counter-Strike players prefer the static crosshair, simply because the dynamic option doesn’t quite convey the information you need, and it’s simply just an oversized distraction. With a bit of practice, you will know full well that you need to adjust your spray while moving – and if you’re standing still or pre-aiming a spot, why have the annoying wobbly thing when the static crosshair will do just fine?

Follow recoil CSGO crosshair: what is this setting and is it worth using?

Follow recoil is borderline OP (overpowered) in the estimation of multiple pro players and content creators, as it makes the crosshair directly track where your bullets are actually going. It is a new setting in Counter-Strike 2, so don’t expect to find it in your previous CSGO crosshair settings. (Technically, there was an option to enable it, but it was locked behind sv_cheats 1, meaning you couldn’t use it in a competitive setting.)

For high-level players, who already know their recoil patterns and the requisite movement compensation quite well, this is just a little bit of added help in the chaos of a battle – but for amateur players, it can be incredibly useful to get this sort of visual feedback, and there is very little practical downside to it either way.

Check out this video to learn more about what it’s like in practice in the hands of an experienced and strong player like TheWarOwl:

All too often, you end up keeping your crosshair on your opponent, ignoring the tracer rounds that clearly show how far off your bullets are deviating, but with this setting enabled, this significant part of the gameplay can be all but eliminated, or at least extremely simplified. No matter the kind of CS2 crosshair you end up choosing, follow recoil is definitely worth your while, even if it does take a little bit of getting used to if you have previously grinded the game without it.

Crosshair thickness, crosshair color, center dot: what are the best Counter-Strike crosshair settings?

This is the part where your favorite CS:GO crosshair settings might need a bit of a rethink heading into CS2. Counter-Strike 2’s redesigned maps feature a more vibrant, somewhat VALORANT-esque color scheme, eschewing realism a little in favor of a contrasting color scheme that greatly aids gameplay. Nevertheless, your crosshair color choice still matters: a green one might become a camouflage on Ancient, while something yellow might not treat you well on Inferno or Mirage, for instance. You might want to have multiple color options available for different maps. Something super-high contrast, like cyan or pink (no joke) can do quite well.

As for crosshair thickness and the accompanying crosshair border, that is definitely down to personal preference. I like a small but thick crosshair for the “put this on the bad guy and if you can’t see their face, you will win” experience, and I like to have a nice black border to minimize any color issues. Turns out the old graphic design meme applies to Counter-Strike as well:

The crosshair dot is also a contentious choice in Counter-Strike. In some ways, it’s a little pointless when the cross already gets the job done for you. It makes a bit more sense with the dynamic crosshair since the line parts will keep on moving while the dot remains stationary, but we’ve already discussed why that is not a good choice for a game like this.

However, you can have a dot crosshair, meaning nothing but the center dot. It’s small, non-distracting, with the absolute minimum fluff. It can help with headshots due to its small size, but if you’re not an aim master, you might be looking for a bit more assistance than just the tiniest of blips.

Nevertheless, here’s a dot crosshair example, courtesy of blameF: CSGO-LdXHk-hatWX-JjEa8-tuLDN-5tbJD

How to change your crosshair in CS2

You might be wondering how to use the crosshair code above. Thankfully, changing your CS2 crosshair is super straightforward stuff. Navigate to the settings menu, then look for “Crosshair” in the “Game” tab. Here, you can create your own setup or import a code from a friend or a pro. You can do so by clicking on the “Share or Import” button. We’ve put together a few suggestions for you below.

It is also possible to manually enter the individual console commands like in the old days, but this new system is much more user-friendly and flexible, with a neat preview to boot, so we definitely suggest using that instead.

Best pro player crosshairs in Counter-Strike: NiKo, ropz, shroud, and more

You can easily import the crosshair of any player and make it your own in CS2 by using their generated code in the method described above. Unsurprisingly, many opt for a crosshair from one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world in the hope that some of their glitter will shine on their gameplay by extension. Results may vary, but it can’t hurt to try!

Note that even though these codes start with CSGO, these are not CS:GO crosshairs and they will work perfectly fine in CS2. It’s just one of the many quirks of the Source engine upgrade.

• NiKo: CSGO-UwUWf-AScRw-fmW79-woFNe-wLsuL
• shroud: CSGO-Edh6j-RrwMz-CEfqX-DH3jz-raJGG
• ropz: CSGO-HhqGJ-sDkmR-W9oNx-DvQOF-xpuCQ

While AWPers won’t see their fancy crosshair when using their primary weapon, these are worth a gander as well if you’re looking for a change-up:

• m0NESY: CSGO-hzrMn-jXu8b-R7VH4-hQ9aa-OnMHA
• ZywOo: CSGO-Qzpx5-BRLw8-xFPCS-hTns4-GHDhP
• s1mple: CSGO-w8oZm-tDYrj-PbCFm-rs6QV-OSc3K

A word of warning: Be careful when searching for pro player crosshair settings online as many resources are outdated, with some still displaying CS:GO information. Liquipedia’s player pages also list crosshair settings, for instance, but you can clearly see that almost all of them are multiple years old. Here’s an example with apEX, the in-game leader of Team Vitality: you can see that it was last updated on April 17, 2022.

Counter-Strike 2 crosshairs, summarized

• Finding the right crosshair can give you big advantage in CS2
• Static crosshairs are better than dynamic ones
• The new color schemes of CS2 maps makes it easier to see things
• Follow recoil is a super powerful setting
• You can easily import and try the crosshair settings of the best players in the world
• Thickness, outline, and the middle dot all come down to personal preference

Now that you know everything about crosshairs in CS2, why not expand your gaming knowledge further by checking out what the Bitsler blog has to offer? With awesome gameplay tips and esports coverage across a variety of titles, you will find everything you can think of here with a bit of browsing.