CS2 may add taunts, according to data miners

William Davis Published 06/04/2023

Getting ego peeked in Counter-Strike already sucks, but at least you don’t have to watch your killer get sturdy afterward. 

The release of CS2 was exciting for the average player, but its also a feast for data miners. Just weeks after the launch of the extremely limited beta test, several potential features have been discovered in the new client. The most shocking of all is the possible addition of taunts. The feature is commonplace in most modern games, but Counter-Strike is an interesting case.

The new animations were revealed by established CSGO insider Gabe Follower. He showed off a wide variety of unique animations through a social media post on April 5, 2023. Followers stressed that these new emotes are not related to game intros and outros and are something entirely new based on their position in the files.

The taunts themselves are fairly plain. The options include a clap, salute, fist bump, point, and even a cutthroat gesture. The most flamboyant option shows a CT charging an uppercut before pumping their fist in the air. There’s also one where the player pretends to shoot themselves in the head. Don’t expect to hit the griddy on Mirage anytime soon.

Valve has not acknowledged this discovery, and whatever plans the company has will likely be under wraps until they are implemented in some form. However, considering the wide variety of options and finished animations, CS2’s developer is definitely planning something for these taunts.

Will taunts be available in competitive CS2?

Gabe Follower also notes that these animations are most likely meant for Danger Zone and will not appear in actual competitive matchmaking.

It’s not clear why he believes they will be locked to CS2’s battle royale mode, but it could have something to do with the animations’ file location. That would be the most fitting place for them, as taunts could cause competitive balance issues in real Counter-Strike.

In Team Fortress 2, taunts zoom out to a third-person perspective, allowing players to check behind them and around corners. Gabe also showed first-person perspectives for the taunts, showing that CS2 wouldn’t allow such a competitive oversight.

However, there’s still the issue of wonky hitboxes. Dirty players could find some way to bait AWP shots around corners based on hitbox and model discrepancies. This may still be possible in Danger Zone, but it shouldn’t affect your ranked matchmaking experience.

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