The Counter-Strike Series has been around for over twenty years, and during this period the weapons meta has changed several times. Of course, the release of Counter-Strike 2 shook it up again, albeit not as much. CS.MONEY Blog explains what the weapon meta is, what the is current CS2 meta, and which weapons are the strongest and most powerful right now.
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Current CS2 Weapon Meta Explained
One of the most significant CS2 gameplay changes was the re-work of the pre-round buy menu. Now you won’t be able to take the entire arsenal with you; instead, you need to choose four Pistols, five SMGs/Shotguns and five Rifles. Space is limited, and therefore, only the best weapons should be included. Let’s see what weapons are currently the strongest in CS2 and what is better to play with.
Rifles: AK-47, M4A1-S and AUG
Rifles have always been the mainstay. They provide the best balance between firepower, accuracy and mobility. The most popular and effective rifles are AK-47 (T-Side) and M4A1-S (CT-side). Although the new smoke grenade system has indirectly nerfed M4A1-S, it still prevails over M4A4. Still, M4A4 is actively used by about a third of CS2 players currently, so it can also be considered part of the meta.
And here comes the fun part. CS2 with its new dynamic smoke thing brought back scoped rifles. AUG is deservedly popular among defensive players right now. However, the pros began to pay much less attention to it. Perhaps they’re just covering the new imba, and things will change by the time of the first CS2 Major. AUG is a more expensive but also handier rifle compared to M4. Higher accuracy, same damage at any distance and a scope are strong arguments in favour of purchasing an AUG if it fits your economy.
Sniper Rifles: AWP
Nothing has changed in the sniper rifles camp. AWP is still considered the best sniper rifle with no rivals even close. Its ability to send enemies to respawn with one shot covers all its shortcomings. Even its tiny magazine, high price, and low movement speed won’t matter when “one click -> one kill” still works fine.
In CS2, snipers still don’t have an alternative during rounds with a weak economy. You can only buy SSG 08. Fortunately, five purchase slots leave the opportunity to take two sniper rifles and three automatic rifles, so both sides can afford a fairly wide selection of weapons. According to tradition, automatic sniper rifles are collecting dust deep down the box: AWP cannot be rivalled.
Pistols: Desert Eagle, P250 and TEC-9
The Meta in CS2 has not changed at all with pistols. With the new buy menu system, you can place several alternatives, for example, CZ-75a and TEC-9, but it’s useless. Unfortunately, in CS2 pistols are very straightforward: Desert Eagle is obviously the best, way better than R8 Revolver; starting weapons such as Glock-18 and USP-S are crucial and irreplaceable (yep, P2000 is still bad); and TEC-9 is better than CZ-75a. Therefore, in CS2, players are left with the same sets of pistols: Glock/USP, P250 when playing CT, TEC-9 when playing T, and Desert Eagle for those confident in aiming.
Shotguns and SMGs: MAG-7 + XM1014; MAC-10 + MP9
Now, we have a brand new category in CS2: Shotguns, SMGs & Heavy Weapons. Here, not much has changed as well, apart from XM1014. Recently, during CS:GO matches, esports players drew attention to this shotgun. For example, Natus Vincere’s s1mple. This automatic shotgun really deserves a place in the CS2 purchase menu. And it blasts smokes well!
In addition to XM, try considering MAG-7. This cheap and mighty shotgun can help in short-range defence. The remaining slots can be filled with anything; the main thing is not to miss the two best SMGs, MAC-10 and MP9. They have long and firmly proved decent workhorses in second rounds or force-buys.
CS2’s reimagined buy menu brought players a new challenge. On the one hand, you can now have several alternatives simultaneously: for example, freely swap M4A4 and M4A1-S whenever. How long have CS players asked for this? Ages! On the other hand, the new buy menu is limited to only 15 guns, while the game has more than 30. Therefore, you need to decide which weapon is more suitable for you or just follow the CS2 weapons meta and learn by error.
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