The Counter-Strike series has always been known as a hardcore shooter where there’s no room for pay-to-win mechanics. But is that still true? The CS.MONEY Blog takes a closer look to find out whether you can buy a win in CS2—and if so, how.
The most important part of the game is having fun. And you’ll definitely enjoy the game more if you’ve got awesome skins. So where do you get cool skins without spending too much? Of course—on CS.MONEY!
Agents
In November 2019, agents were added to the game. These are special character models that replace the default ones. You could only get them during operations. Almost immediately after their release, the CS community started accusing Valve of ruining the balance and giving players an unfair advantage.
The main reason for all the hate? Visibility. Some agents wear green camo, which (SURPRISE, SURPRISE) makes them super hard to see on maps with a lot of greenery. Others are darker than the default models. That means, after agents were added, they really did give some players an edge. If you crouched near a leafy wall, your character would almost blend in completely.
Valve took this seriously and tried two things:
- They added a contrast boost option.
- They changed some agents’ looks by adding bright colors or patterns
These helped, but only a little. The contrast boost isn’t like Valorant’s bright outlines—it’s more of a soft glow. And some agents still blend in. For example, Primeiro Tenente Brazilian 1st Battalion is still hard to spot on Ancient’s leafy areas. So yeah, Valve still has work to do here.
Old Weapon Models
Weapon models in CS:GO and CS2 are different. The new ones look cooler and more detailed. But here’s the catch: thanks to skins, both the old and new models are still in CS2. Redesigning hundreds of skins for updated guns would’ve been a nightmare, so Valve left the older ones in. And that actually gives players a slight edge.
Compared to the old CS:GO guns, the new CS2 models are bulkier. They take up more space on your screen. Sometimes it’s just 1–2% more, but in extreme cases—like with the AWP—it can be up to 15% more screen coverage.
Now, that’s not a big deal by itself. You can move your weapon with the viewmodel settings so it blocks less of your view. But there are two guns where this trick won’t work: AUG and SG553.
When you use the scope on these rifles, the camera zooms into the scope. And here’s the weird part: the size of the scope depends on the model. The old CS:GO skin versions of these rifles have smaller scopes that don’t block as much of the screen. So yeah—that’s a real gameplay advantage.
Valve hasn’t said anything about this yet. But since AUG and SG553 aren’t super popular, most players probably don’t even notice.
Hardware
Another way to get ahead in CS2? Better gear. A powerful PC with 300 FPS, a 144Hz monitor, a solid mouse, and even a keyboard with anti-strafe tech—there’s a lot you can do.
This kind of “hardware doping” really does help. But that’s just how competitive games work—good hardware makes a difference.
Valve does crack down on devices that give an unfair advantage. Keyboards with anti-strafe (which automate fast movement tricks) and similar tools are detected. If you try to use them, you’ll get kicked from competitive matches and shown a warning.
Still, a good monitor or smooth frame rates don’t break the rules. They won’t necessarily make you better, but they’ll definitely make your game more comfortable. Don’t miss our guide on picking the best monitor for CS2!
And Finally… Cheats
Yeah, cheats exist. And yeah, they can give you an edge. But we strongly discourage using them.
First off, it ruins the game—for you and everyone else. Second, if you cheat in CS2, you’ll eventually get hit with the VACnet banhammer.
Once you’re banned, you won’t be able to play competitive modes, and your expensive skins will be stuck forever. Not cool.
So just play fair and enjoy the game the way it’s meant to be played—without dirty tricks.
