Counter Strike 2 is getting a new loadout system and purchase menu that won’t please everyone due to the new limitations. In this article, we explain everything you need to know about loadouts in CS2!
What is it about? With the current update for Counter Strike 2 beta testers get a new loadout system, purchase menu and also the revised version of Mirage. In this article we want to explain you all aspects of the new buy menu and loadouts in CS2 and proceed as follows:
- How loadouts & weapon categories work in Counter Strike 2.
- How the new buy menu works
- These are the advantages and disadvantages of the loadouts
- New limitout hints at more variety in the future of CS2.
How do loadouts & weapon categories work in Counter Strike 2?
In Counter Strike:GO you can always buy all weapons in every match as long as your money lasts. In Counter Strike 2, however, the developers take a different direction and reduce your arsenal of weapons. Instead of the usual choice of 31 weapons per match, you can now only take 15 with you. You have to decide which weapons you want to include in your loadout before you start a round in Counter Strike 2. No adjustments are possible during an ongoing match.
However, you cannot freely choose the 15 weapons and thus, for example, only take MP and shotgun with you. In total there are 3 different categories for weapons in CS2:
- Pistols: Here you can find all pistols, can even choose revolvers and Deagle.
- Mid-Tier: Here the former categories “Heavy” and “MP” merge.
- Rifles: This category remains unchanged and contains all rifles from AK to AWP.
- Grenades:** All known grenades are in here and you don’t have to choose a few.
All Weapons in each Loadout Category
| Pistols | Mid-Tier | Rifles | Grenades |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glock 18 | Mac-10 | Famas | HE-Granate |
| P2000 | MP5-SD | Galil | Blendgranate |
| USP-S | MP-7 | M4A4 | Rauchgranate |
| CZ75 Auto | MP-9 | M4A1 | Decoy |
| P250 | PP-Bizon | AK 47 | Brandgranate |
| Dual Berettas | P 90 | AUG | Molotow |
| Five-Seven | UMP-45 | SG 553 | |
| Tec-9 | Mag-7 | SSG 08 (Scout) | |
| Deagle | Nova | AWP | |
| R8 Revolver | Abgesäg. Schrotflinte | G3SG1 | |
| XM1014 | Scar-20 | ||
| M249 | |||
| Negev |
Pack what you want: Thanks to the new loadout system in CS2, you can now carry both M4s or even pistols that would otherwise overlap. For example, you can now pack a CZ-75 Auto for an Eco round and a Five-Seven as a sidearm for an AWP! Also, the revolver and Deagle now both fit in your loadout. Whether that is the best possible loadout then, however, remains questionable.
How does the new buy menu of Counter Strike 2 work?
Compared to Counter Strike: GO, you’ll notice that there’s no longer a circular menu for buying weapons and equipment. Instead, we get a simple menu, with a total of 5 lists. Four of them you already know, the fourth list consists of Kevlar (+helmet) and the Zeus-Tacer.
Still the community is quite split about this change: Some say that the buy menu is slower to use now, others say faster. The only thing that is clear is that the buy wheel was never actually intended for Counter Strike. CSGO’s pizza slice-like buy menu dates back to when CSGO was planned as a console game. With a circular menu, players with controllers should be able to buy faster.
In the latest iteration, Counter Strike 2’s buy menu is reminiscent of Valorant. Also from Valorant is the option to sell weapons now. Never again will you hear a fellow player say at the start of an Eco round: “Oh, we’re doing Eco…? Great, just bought a P90!”
Caution: You can only return weapons until the purchase phase is over or you have already shot with the weapon!
This is the fastest way to buy: We have a tip for all players who think that buying in CS2 takes longer with the new menu. Furthermore, it is possible to buy with the numbers, and it works like this:
- Open the buy menu with B
- Press a number from 1 to 5 – This selects the category.
- Then select a number from 1 to 5 again – Now select the item in the category.
- Example: Key B > Number 4 > Number 2 = AK-47
Which second number leads to an AK-47 depends on your personal loadout, so it can differ. But you surely understand the principle!
| More about Counter Strike 2 |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the new loadout system in CS2?
Not every player likes the new loadout system. We have collected different opinions on Youtube, reddit, twitter and Co. and summarize the pros and cons.
For some fans, the structure of the new purchase menu and the implementation of loadouts doesn’t make sense. YouTuber WarOwl, for example, suggests the following variant:
There is the fixed loadout that players set up. But there is also the familiar buy menu with all the weapons in it. The loadout thus complements the buy menu and players can quickly buy and still change other weapons if needed. But this could conflict with possible future plans of developer ValvE.
This is what the Loadout system means for the future of Counter Strike – Opinion
In the future of Counter Strike 2, we could expect many new weapons. Which roles these take, I can not say yet. But if new weapons come, then a system like the loadouts makes sense! In Counter Strike Global Offensive there are 34 different weapons. If more are added now, the traditional purchase menu would explode.
With the help of the loadouts, the developers can make sure that there is no overloading. Still, players can include the most played weapons here and even play with new combinations. We eagerly await the release of Counter Strike 2 and the new purchase menu. My hope is and remains only that the new recoil system should please fly out – ValvE, please fix: ARTICLE
