The best loadouts in Counter-Strike 2 for T and CT sides

Steven Rondina Published 11/12/2024

Players first jumping into Counter-Strike 2 will have to make the very difficult decision of setting their loadout for games, but which is the best?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gave players access to every weapon available to their team. While the most obvious gameplay changes in Counter-Strike 2 are the changed maps, missing game modes, and engine change, something that fans will constantly struggle with is having access to just a few different guns at any given moment.

While players will understandably default to just a few weapons, working through the many “what if” scenarios when picking a CS2 loadout can still be a stressful experience. Thankfully, there’s some help.

All the best weapon loadouts in Counter-Strike 2

Players don’t really have to worry all that much about which weapons they bring to a game of Counter-Strike 2. In most cases, there’s a definitive best weapon that should be purchased. Everything else is a situational option.

That said, there are still some clear do’s and don’t’s when it comes to building a loadout. Here are the best options available, why they work, and what alternatives exist. 

Best pistol loadout for CS2

The ideal starting pistols in Counter-Strike 2 are the USP-S and the Glock 18, and players can choose a few different options for light-buy rounds.

Here’s the best pistol loadout for either side:

There’s some overlap between the two sides when it comes to the best pistols. The P250 is a great value against armored enemies while the Desert Eagle’s one-tap potential and ranged accuracy is always valuable. Beyond those two, things differ.

Both sides should opt for their unique mid-range pistols. The Tec-9 is one of the best values in the game and is great when rushing sites due to its running accuracy. The Five-Seven’s large clip and damage at close range make it preferable to alternatives.

The flex options on either side are best filled by the CZ-75 for the CT side and the Dual Berettas on the T side. The CZ-75 is ideal for surprising enemies at close range, making it a better choice for the CT side than the T side. Meanwhile, the Dual Berettas can offer suppressing fire and one-tap potential in pistol rounds.

Best mid-tier loadout for CS2

There’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to putting together a good mid-tier loadout, but it’s also not something to get stressed about.

When it comes to the best mid-tier loadout on the T-side in Counter-Strike 2, there’s not really much need to worry about it. The MAC-10 is affordable, has a high rate of fire, is great for run-and-gun pushing, and is reasonably accurate at range. 95% of the time, if the team is doing a half-buy, the MAC-10 is the right weapon for the job.

The MP5-SD and MP7 both have situational use cases, such as pushing and holding the A site on Dust 2. The P90 offers prolonged run-and-gunning, while the XM1014 can melt unarmored opponents at short or mid-range.

On the CT side, things are more complicated. With the exception of the PP-Bizon and M249, basically every half-buy weapon is an option.

The MP9 has uses in both short and long-range situations. Like the MAC-10, it’s going to be the right choice in the strong majority of situations.

The MP7 is similar to the MP9 but it’s a bit better at mid-range and has a higher price tag. The Nova and MAG-7 can both one-shot armored opponents at close range and have huge kill bonuses. The Nova in particular is a must-have as it’s actually cheaper than the MP9. The XM1014 is more expensive than other shotguns, but its higher rate of fire makes it better for holding off a desperation B rush and then keeping it into the next round.

Finally, the Negev can be useful when solo-holding certain sites and it’s cheaper than the P90 and FAMAS.

Best rifle loadout in CS2

It’s very easy to pick the best rifle loadout in Counter-Strike 2 for both sides. The logic is simple; don’t include the auto-sniper.

On the T-side, Counter-Strike 2 players don’t have to do much thinking when it comes to building the best rifle loadout. Without exaggerating, the only use case for the G3SG1 is dropping down to suicide on Dust 2 when the CT side is poor at the end of a half, spraying through mid doors, then dropping it to pick up an AK-47 that got left behind in spawn. Even for players that have thousands of hours in the game, this will only come up a handful of times.

Things are a bit more nuanced for the CTs, but not by much. The auto-sniper is almost always worse than the AWP, and it’s always more expensive. The only real question is whether to use the M4A1-S or the M4A4. The M4A1-S is generally better in Counter-Strike 2 than the M4A4 due to its great long-range accuracy. However, the M4A4’s bigger clip may be preferable for some. There’s a case to be made for running either weapon, and some players might want to drop the FAMAS or SSG 08 to run both.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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