How to Play Your First Match

After installing CS2, launch the game and you'll see the main menu. To play your first match, you have several options: Deathmatch (instant-respawn PvP), Casual (5v5 standard rules), or Unranked (competitive rules without rank). For beginners, we recommend starting with Deathmatch to practice gunplay, then moving to Casual to learn map layouts and objectives.

Select your game mode from the main menu and wait for the matchmaker to find players of similar skill level. On first launch, you may play against other new players or bots. The game will load a map and place you on either the Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist side. Buy weapons using your starting money ($2400 initially, less in subsequent rounds), aim at enemies using your mouse, and shoot with left-click.

Objectives change based on team: Terrorists must plant a bomb (C4) at bomb site A or B, while Counter-Terrorists must prevent planting or defuse the bomb. Learning these objectives and map callouts will help you contribute to your team.

Don't worry about performance in early matches. Focus on learning spray patterns, listening to your team's calls, and understanding positioning. Most experienced players remember their first 50 hours as a learning curve.