How does tick rate work in Counter-Strike 2?

If you’re a gamer who plays first-person-shooters, you’ve probably heard the term ‘tick rate’ pop up from time to time, whether via updates or from other players, but might not know what it means. Here is our guide on tick rate in Counter-Strike 2.

What is tick rate?

Simply put, a tick rate is the frequency at which a server processes updates, measured in hertz. The higher the tick rate, the faster players receive input updates from the server, making online games feel more responsive and fluid.

CS:GO’s tick rate was locked at 64 hz on official servers, although it could be bumped up to 128 hz on others. That’s changing in Counter-Strike 2, however, with the announcement of an entirely new system.

How does tick rate work in Counter-Strike 2?

Rather than using tick rates to evaluate moving and shooting in time intervals, Counter-Strike 2 is introducing a new system that doesn’t have the same shortcoming of failing to account for time between ticks. In the past, the fractions of a second between actions and a tick being registered sometimes seemingly well-aimed shots to miss their targets.

That won’t be an issue in Counter-Strike 2, thanks to what the devs have dubbed an all-new sub-tick update system. Rather than relying on tick rate, the servers will know the exact moment players perform any action, even if it happens between ticks.

In their own words, “Now the tick rate no longer matters for moving and shooting. So, the server will know the exact moment you shot your shot, jumped your jump, or peeked your peek, and the server will calculate your precise actions between ticks. So, what you see, is what you get.”

By the sound of things, this could be a total game changer that could shake things up in the industry, and potentially even make Counter-Strike 2 the number one destination for pro first-person-shooter players.

What is the tick rate in Counter-Strike 2?

At this point in time, it seems that the plans for a sub-tick rate in Counter-Strike 2 aren’t going the way that the developers wanted. In fact, it seems that Valve is seemingly forcing everyone to play Counter-Strike 2 on a 64 tick rate. Not exactly the huge leap forward that players were hoping for.

Some Counter-Strike pros claim that the tick rate is actually worse in the highly anticipated sequel than it was in the original game. At the same time, plenty of players have expressed that believe Counter-Strike 2 has a better performance. As Valve continues to work on the game, hopefully, there will be plenty of updates to not only deliver the promise of an improved sub-tick rate but other additions that will boost general performance as well.

Congratulations! You now know what tick rate is for Counter-Strike 2.