CS2 players reminisce about CS:GO’s ‘user-friendly’ options—and hope Valve brings them back

It’s no secret that CS2 launched with half the features of its predecessor. And although Valve has made efforts to restore old features and bring in new ones, many fans are still longing for the “good old days.”

Thus, a Reddit thread has cropped up praising CS:GO’s freedom of customization, and particularly, its many console commands. The thread, posted on Thursday, May 16, features numerous console commands from CS:GO that are now either entirely missing or different in CS2. These are namely the r_cleardecals and ViewmodelRecoil settings, alongside the instant left-right hand switching. The video also features the highly customizable bob, and even mentions the map-based factions, though that is separate from the thread’s focal point. Though Valve has reintroduced the hand switching and bob settings, they are vastly different from what CS:GO had, especially the latter, which is severely limited in scope and customizability.

Many players replying to the thread expressed how they particularly miss the recoil and old bob settings. These two simple commands helped with weapon behavior, which, even if not directly related to gameplay, can make a huge difference in how using a gun “feels.” All of us have different tastes and playstyles, so these commands allowed for more individual customization, just like crosshair settings do, for example. But the ClearDecals command has proved to be a bit divisive among those participating in the thread’s discussion, with numerous players claiming it provided an unfair advantage to those who knew about it.

Even that is fixable, however: Valve could simply embed the setting within the official Game Settings tab and that would be that. Everyone would know about it and have the chance to use it. That would go in line with how Valve handled other “obscure” commands and binds, like the recently introduced grenade crosshair, which was made available for everyone by default.

At the end of the day, it’s in Valve’s hands. There are plenty of commands that have been killed off in the transition from the old to the new, and the ones above are just a few notable mentions. The studio has been experimenting with the reintroduction of these “user-friendly” options, such as the left-handed viewmodel, so hope still remains that it will also bring back some others, even if they end up functioning differently.