Counter-Strike 2 brough us loadouts, something CS:GO didn’t have. Now you choose 15 different weapons per match and cannot use others. Most likely, Valve thought that simplifying leads to better gameplay because players would be less distracted during the match. However, before the game, choosing the best weapons for your loadout is crucial. In this article, CS.MONEY Blog displays the best loadouts in CS2, including what professional players use, and give some tips on choosing the right weapons.
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Best Pistols To Use in CS2 Loadout
One slot is always occupied by the default pistol (Glock-18 for attack, USP-S/P2000 for defence). The Desert Eagle takes another essential slot, as it’s one of the main options during economic rounds. The third important candidate is the P250. Due to its low cost, good animation, and decent damage, the P250 is a safe option without many risks. The remaining two slots have three candidates for each side. Dual Berettas are a good choice due to their low price, and if desired, they can always be dropped to a teammate in an economic round. However, according to EliGE, not all players on the team necessarily need these pistols – one or two players are enough. Other alternatives are the CZ-75 Auto and Tec-9/Five-seveN, powerful pistols with their widely explored pros and cons.
Best attack pistol loadout: Glock-18, P250, Desert Eagle, any two of the three (Dual Berettas, Tec-9, CZ-75 Auto)
Best defence pistol loadout: USP-S, P250, Desert Eagle, any two of the three (Dual Berettas, Five-seveN, CZ-75 Auto)
Best Mid-Tier Weapons to Use in CS2 Loadout
This category includes shotguns, submachine guns, and machine guns, offering the most variety. However, most players allocate two slots to shotguns: Nova and XM1014. Both weapons perform well in close-range combat, but the choice depends on the economic situation.
Machine guns haven’t found their place in the meta yet, and players often buy the Negev for fun and trolling, but in serious play, machine guns just occupy slots and are mostly useless.
Submachine guns have diversity in both cost and characteristics, so allocating three slots to them is a practical idea:
- The inexpensive Mac-10/MP9, depending on the side, is very effective for its cost.
- Many professional players currently use the MP5-SD, and the MP7 remains a viable option.
- The P90 remains a timeless classic for many casual players due to its large magazine and high cost.
Best attack mid-tier weapon loadout: MAC-10, Nova, MP5-SD/MP7, XM1014, P90
Best defense mid-tier weapon loadout: Nova, MP9, MP5-SD/MP7, XM1014, P90
Best Rifles to Use in CS2 Loadout
Let’s start with the attack: here, there’s a versatile and nearly fail-safe option. The loadout includes the Galil AR, AK-47, and SG553. They are complemented by the sniper rifles SSG 08 and AWP. This set covers most scenarios, and the absence of semi-automatic sniper rifles can be explained by their luxury status in the past. With the reduced match duration now, opportunities to buy these rifles are even scarcer.
There’s no such universal answer in defence since we have the M4A1-S and M4A4, both usable simultaneously in CS2. Some professional players do just that. EliGE says that, in his opinion, the M4A4 is currently stronger, but due to changes in the economy (the same reduced match duration), the $200 difference has a significant impact, so he prefers the M4A1-S. NiKo, for example, plays with both rifles but forgoes the FAMAS, whereas m0NESY decided to forgo the AUG. Twistzz believes that the FAMAS is quite strong in CS2, and EliGE won’t blame a player for not having the SSG 08.
It’s easy to observe that professional players have differing opinions, and there’s no universal recipe. The consensus is only about including an AWP and at least one M4. Beyond that, choices can be made.
Best attack rifle loadout: Galil AR, AK-47, SG553, SSG 08, AWP
Best defence rifle loadout: AWP, any four of the five (FAMAS, M4A1-S, M4A4, AWP, SSG 08)
What loadouts do pro esports players use?
HLTV recorded a video where they interviewed various players about their preferences, and you can watch it in English here:
When it comes to those not mentioned in the list, s1mple, for instance, plays defence without the AUG. He also has the MP7 and MP5-SD but no P90.
Ropz’s inventory is similar to s1mple’s: the only difference in intermediate weapons is the replacement of the MP7 with the P90, but this swap is unlikely to be critical; typically, players prefer entirely different weapons.
Professional players aim for maximum efficiency, so their choices can serve as a guide. And if you want to get a cool skin for maximum gaming excitement, better use CS.MONEY, an easy way to update your inventory!
