win.gg
Win.gg Counter-Strike Valve quickly fixes CSGO’s water footstep bug with fans’ help

Valve quickly fixes CSGO's water footstep bug with fans' help

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 16/10/2021
Google Preferred Source

Valve has finally fixed the infamous water bug in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with the help of Reddit users. 

If you’ve ever heard spooky noises in waters across Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s maps, it’s likely a bug. A strange glitch has long caused issues when players walk on surfaces like fountains, mud, and canals. While it’s an enduring bug, it took professional player Martin “STYKO” Styk to finally get Valve to notice. 

In October release notes, the developer revealed that the issue had been fixed, and the water footstep sounds would no longer emit from spectating players’ death location.

https://twitter.com/CSGO/status/1449136735296778241

The bug has been a part of CSGO for a long time, but it became tough to ignore after Ancient was added to the map pool, as there are many large muddy patches on the map. FunPlus Phoenix’s STYKO encountered the bug in the new map in the terrorist spawn area. It was later confirmed by other players who experienced it on Inferno and Overpass as well. 

What is the CSGO water bug?

CSGO’s water bug allowed players to hear enemy footsteps in watery patches of terrain from across the map by listening near other watery patches, even if they aren’t connected.

Players highlighted that when enemies step into the water in any part of the map, you can hear the sound effect on all areas in the map with water. For example, if someone jumps into the B-short water on Overpass, you can hear their footsteps at the CT fountains. A similar bug is found on Ancient, where players can listen to footsteps from across the entire map.

This was a game-breaking bug as it could be exploited to gather intel on a higher level of play. Considering the impact of this glitch, Valve took notice and requested demos from fans who have encountered the bug. After investigation, the developer has finally released a fix. 

Players can now freely roam around water-based maps without the fear of being heard. While the fix is excellent news, players are more glad about Valve’s new interaction with the community. The CSGO developer unironically boasts about its complete lack of communication with fans, so this is a first for many players. Fans are now hopeful that Valve will keep tackling similar issues like this moving forward..

Fariha Bhatti Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile
Read Also
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...