This brand new Molotov bug can break Overpass games

By Josse Van Dessel

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Mar 17, 2021

Reading time: 2 min

A new bug involving the Molotov grenade in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been discovered.

The different grenades in CSGO have a history of not working as intended. HE grenades often have trouble when thrown near edges on a map, and smokes are notorious for not completely blocking off vision. Now, a recently discovered bug with the Molotov changes the distance these fiery grenades can travel.

The bug was discovered on Overpass, a map with a reputation for game-breaking player boosts. To patch out these boosts, Valve has littered the map with skyboxes that limit boosting by multiple players. But these skyboxes now have created a new type of bug involving the Molotov and incendiary grenade.

How does the Molotov bug work on Overpass?

Molotovs work on an internal timer when used on a longer range. Two seconds after being thrown, the Molotov will explode. If the explosion happens within a certain distance to a part of the map, that area will be set alight. But there is a way to manipulate this timer, and that’s what happened on Overpass.

A Molotov does not recognize a skybox as a part of the map. But it does recognizes making contact with something and it isn’t sure whether to explode or not. Instead, the internal timer expires without restarting. This means that when a Molotov is flying above a skybox exactly two seconds after being thrown, it gets an infinite fly time. It will only explode when it hits a surface.

YouTuber NadeKing found a way to use this bug on Overpass. Using skyboxes in the middle of the map, he shows off a way to throw a Molotov on B all the way from the party area.

This lineup might throw off your opponents, as they won’t expect you to be so far away. It could even trigger them into believing your team is going to attack B. 

These skyboxes are perfectly located for the bug, but other maps have similar problems with their own skyboxes. With Valve being notoriously slow in fixing this type of bug, we might see several other long-distance Molotov throws in the future.