CS2 players think now is the time to change how we see flashbangs

Players are gunning for blinding flashbangs in Counter-Strike to be a thing of the past, and CS2 seems to be the perfect opportunity to make such a change. The community is suggesting the time is now to change the white screen induced by the flashbang grenade and switch it to a pitch-black screen instead.

Screens as white as snow would be interchangeable with this new black flashbang screen, as suggested by members of the CS community in a Sept. 18 Reddit thread. It would be added as a setting in the game, allowing players to switch to a black flashbang that is less intensive on the eyes.

The $200, white-screened flashbang feature has been around for years. But, as we’re now entering a new era of CS, this could be the right time to test the waters.

Players noted other titles already have such a feature. The Minecraft-esque shooter BattleBit: Remastered had this setting available with its 2023 launch and is handy even though the flashbang is rarely used by players. Given it is such a common piece of utility in CS, the lack of a darkened screen option after all this time is baffling.

However, there is a way Valve could one-up their newest FPS rival. Community members suggested introducing a grey flashbang screen. Alongside the black and white options, this would give players plenty of alternates if the white screen is too glaring.

CS flashbangs have always had a white screen and ear-piercing sound alongside it. This constant ringing was also something the community believed could be tweaked.

By simply muting the audio instead of playing the high-pitched audio, players claim you’d get the same effect as the CS2 flashbang. This would also potentially assist players with long-lasting conditions like tinnitus.

With the ever-growing pile of CS2 patches, there is a chance Valve could take note of this suggestion. There were three separate updates alone last week, with each one fixing various bugs and updating maps. 

Since CS2 is still in beta, there’s always a chance we could see flashbangs changed forever once it’s fully released.