How to Improve Movement in CS2 (Basic and Advanced Techniques)

A pretty big range of skills is needed to be good at Counter-Strike, including understanding weapon features, shooting accuracy, and map knowledge. Movement is quite basic among them, and due to illusionary simplicity, many beginners to the game don’t pay enough attention to it or put in proper practice.

Good movement skills in CS2 can save the life of your character. You see a danger and quickly react to it. Or you know how to enter an open area and then swiftly retreat if there is an opponent. Movement is not only about running to B at the start of each round, you know.

CS2 movement is an important area to learn and practice. In this guide on DMarket Blog, you’ll find all the necessary info plus some tips and tricks.

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Basic Movement Mechanics

Your CS2 character has all the basic movement tools you would expect in any shooting game.

• Run — it’s a default type of movement, when you press the “WASD” keys. In Counter-Strike, you trade silence for speed. Running is how players start a round to quickly reach an area of potential battle or to take an area under their control (like a bombsite for CT).

• Walk — to be quieter you need to press “Shift” alongside the usual directional keys. This type of movement is slower but it does not make footstep noises. Choose to walk for the usual stealth approach to not let opponents hear you. For example, walking helps to approach new areas.

• Crouch — is a very slow type of basic movement, and it’s generally used to improve accuracy of shooting while camping and waiting for opponents. Another obvious feature of crouching is being shorter, so you can hide behind objects and simply be less notable at first sight. You need to press “Ctrl” (Duck) and movement keys to crouch.

• Jump — the default key for jumping in CS2 is “Space”. You can reach high areas thanks to this movement type, like a crate to have a better view of the surroundings (A on Mirage). Also, jumping helps to peek over walls and see if opponents are there and where they are exactly (on Overpass).

No special practice is needed for the basic CS2 movements. They are like the simplest building blocks to build more complicated details of advanced techniques.

Still, it’s crucial to know basic movements and inputs for them.

Absolute beginners to Counter-Strike may benefit from messing around in the safety of training mode to develop a muscle memory for walking and crouching. Maybe you will even want to get rid of HUD to focus on movement only and develop a better connection between you and the virtual character.

Intermediate players should dive into understanding what type of movement is necessary for different stages of a round, map areas, and specific situations.

Advanced Techniques

Let’s take a look at cool movement tricks that can help you be effective in CS2 matches.

Boost

This positioning technique is built by two movement types: crouching and jumping. It’s used to see what’s going on behind a tall obstacle or take an area under your control and greet opponents with bullets.

1. One player positions themselves at a specific spot and crouches

2. Another player jumps onto the teammate to reach super high areas or to see over super tall obstacles

Peeking

When you approach a potentially dangerous area you don’t want to simply enter it. An opponent can be there waiting for you with an AWP prepared. Don’t be an easy victim. Use the peeking technique to check out what’s going on and be prepared for aim duels and check the best AWP skins available on the market.

Peeking in CS2 is a method of appearing from an obstacle and then quickly hiding back. It’s quite common for moving over a corner or entering rooms.

1. Walk close to a corner
2. Position yourself on the very edge
3. Press side movement keys (A+D or D+A) to move quickly to a dangerous area and then back

The period when you see an area over an obstacle is super short, so it can be especially important to increase FPS in CS2. You will get more info for the same period of time and it will be correct in terms of lightning changes on the server.

Peeking in CS2 has two more variants:

• Crouching Peeking helps you be safe from sniper rifles. An opponent aims for a headshot, but your hitbox is lower.
• Shoulder Peeking is a way to bait actions from your opponent. You peek partially, without opening a view for yourself. Your character appears in a dangerous zone for a couple of moments, and an opponent starts shooting, revealing their position. This info can be used for team synergy, so your partner attacks from a different angle. Or you can initiate repositioning for better team offense. Info is often key to success in CS2.

Strafe Jumping

This advanced movement technique in CS2 is used when you need to be quicker than running and reach further end points while jumping. Strafe jumping or air strafing can be used on its own, but it’s even more useful as part of more complicated tricks, such as bunny hopping and long jumping.

1. Jump
2. Strafe in the air by repeatedly pressing side keys A/D and simultaneously direct the vision (mouse aim) to the same direction

Bunny Hopping

If you need to be quicker in CS2 than just running, use the bunny hopping technique. It can be used to reach a point on a map much faster, avoid bullets, and escape dangerous areas. Bunny hopping is built on the base of strafe jumping, so you have to practice that first.

1. Run forward
2. Start jumping and air strafing
3. Activate the next jump and strafing immediately after touching the ground

Long Jumping

This technique is used to reach even further end points while jumping. For example, it can be used for positioning yourself in somewhat difficult spots.

1. Crouch
2. Jump
3. Perform air strafing

Counter-Strafing

Quick movements in CS2 totally ruin your shooting accuracy. You need to keep your character still to get a good headshot. While strafing, this is rather tricky and impossible without using a counter-technique.

The trick is to tap in the opposite direction while strafing and only then shoot. Counter-strafing is important when you notice an opponent during your movement and need to eliminate this danger.

1. Start strafe jumping or bhopping
2. Notice a victim
3. Quickly tap a directional key, opposite to your current movement (A->D; D->A)
4. Shoot with better accuracy

Map Knowledge and Movement

Something that requires a separate mention is the importance of map knowledge for improving your movement skills.

Do you remember that thing about basic movement being a building bloc in a construction of advanced techniques? So, all types of movement, whether basic or advanced, are the same blocks for building your strategies in every single round and developing your reaction skills in all sorts of in-game situations.

To say that simply, you need to know where you can use boost, when it’s time for bhopping, at what spots you need to peek, and where you may need to counter-strafe.

After the initial stage of developing basic skills on special maps, you need to bring these techniques to the Active Pool maps and connect movement to exact locations.

Practicing Your Movement

There is no need to focus on basic movement in your practice for too long. The goal with walk/run/jump/crouch is to have a muscle memory for these movement types and generally know where and when to use them.

Advanced techniques require regular practice to promote them to your natural skills. You need to start bhopping easily without really stressing about if it works or not.

1. Practice air strafing separately from running
2. Connect strafing and movement
3. Practice long jumping
4. Practice counter-strafing

The trick is to not overpractice. The game is about fun in the matches, and practice can’t take all your time. Dedicate a short time to practice, and then let yourself enjoy playing. Don’t wait for perfection on every step of our practice plan. Try more advanced techniques when you feel even slight success in air strafing.

Practicing on dedicated maps may help you immensely. Such community-created locations invite players to a special environment, where movement techniques are the main fun.

1. Head to the “Workshop” section on the CS2 Steam page
2. Enter “bhop” in the search
3. Explore available maps, subscribe to them, and practice

Take a look at our selection of the best bhop maps for some specific recommendations.

Another good practice is to play on surf training maps. While surfing is not a movement mechanic you will use in CS2 competitive matches, it’s immensely helpful for developing control skills, even on the macro level.

In-Game Settings and Equipment

There is no need to change game settings when you begin your CS2 movement practice. First, you need to develop a general understanding of the game and your options here. Only then, you will feel what may need to be changed for you to feel more comfortable and get better results.

In terms of movement, in-game settings can be used when you feel like something is wrong, like you can’t do bhopping properly, or even a simple thing like crouching is not working for you when it’s needed.

Two aspects to look at are:

• Mouse Sensitivity — it’s an individual setting, and you should adjust it to your specific needs. Take a look at our dedicated mouse settings & sensitivity guide for various helpful info on this topic.

• Key bindings — to change key mapping for basic techniques, like crouch, walk, and jump. Choose whatever is comfortable for you, for example, something that corresponds with your previous gaming experience. For a deeper dive, check out our binds advanced guide.

Don’t forget about the importance of having high-quality gaming equipment for performing advanced techniques in CS2. You sure can try and play even on your laptop, using the touchpad for aiming. But a good keyboard and mouse will make a difference.

On DMarket Blog, we have posted articles with selections of the best CS2 mice and keyboards for Counter-Strike. Please take a look.

Again, don’t rush with the purchase decisions. Get some decent initial experience in the game, make sure you want to grow in it, and only then decide whether you need to invest money in expensive equipment.

Both setting changes and high-end equipment can’t be a substitute for practice. They may help you avoid obstacles and feel more comfortable during playing sessions. But bhopping doesn’t happen automatically after the equipment upgrade.

Learning from Pro Players

One important part of regular practice is to watch esports tournaments and learn from best pro players.

Everything that happens in there has a lot of layers. For instance, you can get carried away and start cheering for one of the teams, so your attention drifts away from many important details. The match results are based on lots of elements, and if you want to develop something specific, you need to approach viewing with this in mind.

Absorb what they do and then bring these ideas to your personal matches. Every single top-level round is filled with movement. This practice should remain active even when you already know the techniques - pro play is a lot about using every type of movement in the ever-changing dynamics.

After investing some time into esports observation, you will get a side skill of understanding the most popular and successful teams. It’s knowledge to make money on! The best CS2 stickers to invest in are often connected to the winning teams. You will be able to create awesome combinations of skins and stickers to increase the items’ price. And you will know which stickers are better as collectibles for long-term investments. It’s quite an addition to movement skills improvement, isn’t it?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Beginners to Counter-Strike quite often mistakenly ignore movement practice. Just keep in mind how important it is to understand the basic techniques and practice advanced ones. They really make a difference in your match results and help you become a better player.

Strafing and bhopping require keeping a specific rhythm, and a mistake here is to lose pace. In fact, it’s not even a mistake but rather an obstacle to overcome with regular practice. Experiment with timing till you feel the rhythm, and then try to recreate and follow it in new training sessions and real CS2 matches.

In general, we can distinguish the two most common mistakes in CS2 movement practice.

• Impatience. Be easy on yourself. If you know the basic movement options, be patient in developing skills when and where it is better to use them. It’s an integrated part of learning maps and even the game itself. When you start practicing advanced techniques, don’t rush to bhop immediately. Patiently learn strafe, and gradually bring it to the next level. If it doesn’t work for you, remember — it doesn’t work for you YET. Don’t get upset and don’t give up on training.
• Overthinking. Movement is a muscle skill, not brain work. You need to feel the timing, not overthink the technique, and then you will be able to do this. The mistake of overthinking also includes frustration after focusing on practice only. Man, it’s just movement! However important it is, don’t forget that fun is more important. Limit your training reasonably and just enjoy CS2.

Basic movement should be learnt first to understand your options. Practicing movement is tightly connected to team strategies, player tactics, and general map knowledge. It’s simply essential for your success in CS2.

The peeking technique is the next step for everyone. Play smart thanks to it! No special practice is required after you get the point, only usage in matches.

Boost is part of teamplay. Use it when you can coordinate your actions with other players. The best way is to have permanent teammates.

Bhop is a technique for especially dedicated players. It can improve your results, but don’t fall into the mistakes of impatience and overthinking. Strafe and bhop come with time. The games have much more than this, so don’t get obsessed with the movement techniques—they are tools, not a goal. Keep training and eventually you will benefit from having them in your skills arsenal.

Practicing movement should be combined with all other sorts of training (often just during matches). As a result, you will be a better player in general. Why not emphasize your progress with a cool collection of skins? Get awesome items on DMarket—and be safe with 2FA in skins trading.

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