In Counter-Strike 2 – as in its predecessor CS:GO, crosshairs play a huge role in determining how well you play. Whether you’re a more casual player or you’re trying to be a game pro, it’s very important to understand how important crosshairs are – and how you can optimize them for your playing style… as it will help your aim, accuracy, and basically your overall gameplay. It’s also why you’ll be interested to know what the pros use… because if you want to play like a pro, you need to know some of their secrets…
Here, we’ll not only look at why crosshairs are so important and how they work in CS2 – but we’ll also look at what crosshairs are used by the pros and how you can customize them to suit your style – and get a competitive edge.
Why Crosshairs Are So Important in CS2
Crosshairs are there to guide your aim and are a visual representation of where your bullets are likely to hit. In a game like CS2, where having pinpoint accuracy could be the difference between life and death, winning or losing, making sure you have the right crosshair is everything. It gives you the best chance of landing the toughest headshot, being able to control your recoil – and simply making sure you perform to your best ability.
Here’s exactly why crosshairs are so important:
Precise Aiming
A crosshair is what helps you to aim properly at your target. In CS2, where having a quick reaction and making a precise shot can be that tipping point between you and your team winning or losing, the size, shape, and color of your crosshair is what can help you to make the most accurate shots.
Recoil Control
If you’re familiar with CS weapons, you’ll be aware that the different guns all have all different degrees of recoil. As you shoot, your bullets will deviate from the center of your crosshair as a result of this recoil. If you customize your crosshair properly, it can help you not only track the recoil but compensate for it – so hopefully, your bullets have a better chance of landing where you want them to.
Consistency
Having a consistent aim is key to becoming a better player. As such, if you have a crosshair that stays static and is comfortable to your eyes, it should help you to develop muscle memory over time, which means even quicker adjustments and making accurate shots under pressure.
Your Personal Preference
Everyone has their own preference when it comes to crosshairs. Some might prefer a dynamic crosshair that changes with movement and firing, while there are others who would prefer a static crosshair that stays consistent no matter what’s going on. Making sure you find that perfect balance of size, color, and style will help you to perfect your gameplay.
The Different Types of Crosshairs in CS2
CS2 offers all different crosshair customization options to suit all sorts of player preferences. Obviously, there is no “one size fits all” approach, which is why it’s so important to understand the different types of crosshairs and what they offer, so that you can find the best setup for your style.
The Classic Static Crosshair
This is the traditional crosshair that you’re probably the most familiar with. It stays stationary at all times, so it gives you a consistent point of reference. This is the type of crosshair that lots of pro players favor, because it’s reliable and it won’t expand when moving or firing – which means better control.
A Dynamic Crosshair
A dynamic crosshair will expand and contract based on your movement and shooting. As you move or shoot, it will widen – and when standing still, it tightens – so it gives you a visual indicator of when your shots will be accurate. Some prefer this type of crosshair, as it will give you feedback on your accuracy – but it can be distracting to others.
Dot Crosshair
This is a more minimalistic option that doesn’t have the standard four crosshair lines and only has a dot in the center. This is a good option for any player who wants pinpoint accuracy with minimal distraction. It’s usually used by snipers and players who like to go for headshots.
Circle Crosshair
The Circle Crosshair is basically a circle in the center of the screen, and is good to help you focus on head-level aiming. This is a preferred choice for players who like going for headshots – as it’s a handy visual guide to help you keep your crosshair at the right height when in a duel.
Crosshair with Gap
This is a setup that leaves a gap between the four lines of the crosshair and the center point, so you will be able to see more clearly where your bullets hit. It’s a great choice for players who prefer rifles and precision weapons.
How to Customize Your CS2 Crosshairs
Customizing your crosshair is actually really easy – and there are lots of settings that will help you to get it just right. So, here’s how to do it:
1. Open the Settings Menu
Open up the game’s main menu, and click on the settings button which is where you’ll see the Crosshair section.
2. Choose Your Preferred Crosshair Style
Here, you’ll see all the different types of crosshairs to choose from. Pick the one that you want to go with – and if you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to try experimenting with them, to see which ones feel the most comfortable.
3. Adjust the Size
You can then adjust the size of your crosshair so that it matches your screen and aiming preferences. A larger crosshair will be easier to see, but it can obscure targets, while a smaller crosshair is more precise but can be a bit harder to track if you’re in the midst of an intense firefight.
4. Change the Color
The color is another important element of crosshair customization. You should go for a color that stands out against the environment – but isn’t too harsh on your eyes. Lots of players go for bright green, cyan, or pink because they contrast well with most of the maps and are easy to see.
5. Set Your Thickness and Gap
You can also adjust the thickness of the crosshair lines and the gap between them. A smaller gap is good for your precision, but a larger gap can make it easier for you to track your targets.
6. Enable or Disable Dynamic Mode
If you prefer the idea of your crosshair changing based on your movement and firing, then you can enable dynamic mode. However, if you want a crosshair that stays static regardless, make sure that you have the feature disabled.
7. Crosshair Commands
If you want even more control, you can use various other console commands. If you want to access the developer console, just press “~” (tilde key) and type in the various commands such as cl_crosshairsize, cl_crosshairthickness, and cl_crosshairgap.
How Pros Use Crosshairs in CS2
As you can see, crosshairs are hugely important, which is why professional players pay so much attention to their crosshair settings – and it has a huge impact on how they play in a high-stakes match-up. Although every pro will have their own personal preferences, there are some common factors that most go for:
One Crosshair for All Weapons
Pros normally use the same crosshair for all their weapons, helping to create muscle memory no matter what gun they are using. This consistency makes it easier for them to transition between rifles, pistols, and snipers without worrying about their aim.
Static Crosshairs for Better Control
A lot of professional players prefer static crosshairs so they have a consistent reference point. This means that pros can focus on their aim rather than having to worry about adjusting to a crosshair that changes its size based on what they are doing.
Simple Designs
Pros also usually prefer a simple crosshair design that won’t distract them. They usually go for a small crosshair that has minimal visual elements so they can better focus on their aim. This usually means thin lines and small gaps to help with precision.
Bright Colors
Pros like colors that will stand out in whatever environment they play in. A bright color stands out on most maps, even in busy and dark areas.
Customized to the Map
Some pros also opt to adjust their crosshair settings based on what map they are playing. For example, if they are playing on an open map like Dust 2, they might go for a smaller crosshair – while on a more confined map like Inferno, they might choose a slightly bigger crosshair.
Crosshair Placement
Professional players tend to maintain excellent crosshair placement – so their crosshair is always positioned at head level, making them ready to shoot as soon as they spot the enemy. This is one of the main reasons that pros are so consistent with headshots.
Minimal Distractions
Pros also usually avoid crosshair designs that expand, move, or do anything that can distract them. Most professionals opt to disable dynamic crosshairs because they can be distracting, while a stationary crosshair means they can focus on tracking their opponents and controlling recoil.
So, with that being said, let’s take a look at some of the crosshairs used by the pros…
Best CS2 Crosshairs – Used by the Pros
1: Mathieu ”ZywOo” Herbaut
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-CRuM5-SNFNz-4vtqY-GpFfH-LqbxJ
Mathieu Herbaut – ZywOo, is one of the best CS players ever. He is a French pro player who has won literally hundreds of thousands of dollars playing the game. As an AWPer, he has helped his team win lots of rounds… partly thanks to his crosshair. He has a pretty straightforward and minimal crosshair, which is a cross separated by a small gap and works well for spraying and one-tapping.
2: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Crosshair code – CSGO-Gj9ry-3QQF3-T78kK-onMAf-6DR7B
The Ukrainian pro, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is seen, by many, as one of the most accomplished players ever – and his role as the team’s AWPer has won him lots of S-tier awards and MVP titles. He’s also led his team to an international Major victory.
Like Zywoo, he also has a pretty simple crosshair, but his is just a dot in the center. It’s basically a smaller version of the default one – but without the movement and firing error.
3: Gabriel “FalleN” Sguario
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-TpORA-p9Ley-TLQ3P-HzXJY-U9z6A
Everyone who knows anything about the Counter-Strike game will have heard of FalleN – as he’s been a hugely influential name in the game for some time. He’s won lots of games – walked away with plenty of awards, and his team has won millions of dollars.
For his crosshair, he famously uses the classic Dot crosshair with a black outline, which works well with his precise and accurate playing style. If you’re someone who values accuracy over speed, then it’s one you might want to try… although it can be difficult to use if spraying.
4: Håvard “rain” Nygaard
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-mbppN-WGdqq-XeBH8-bmdyV-fxwPB
Håvard Nygaard – referred to as rain, is a popular CS professional player hailing from Norway – and has earned worldwide notoriety thanks to his incredible clutching ability and hugely aggressive playstyle.
His crosshair of choice is a pretty big plus crosshair that’s separated by a very small gap… similar to ZywOo’s, but a bit bigger and more obvious. His use of a bigger crosshair suits his aggressive playing style perfectly – and it’s great for his accuracy.
5: Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-Rxkq5-myqax-3ZL5k-xBQOd-m4urD
Then, we have the famous Dane, Rasmus Nielsen, who has become a big Counter-Strike name thanks to his numerous achievements – including wins at the Blast Premier and IEM events. He’s a very tactical player – and this has helped his team to countless wins.
His crosshair is very similar to s1mple, but a little bigger – with a plus that has a dot in the centre. It’s basically a mix of crosshair types – the plus used for spraying and the dot for one taps.
6: Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-PBAmf-cBT6C-CzWBZ-8JbQi-ZbJaA
If you’re looking for a CS prodigy, then it has to be the legend that is m0NESY, who has been playing with the big boys since he was just 14 years old. He has developed some seriously incredible skills, has fast reflexes and an aggressive style of play that have earned him a reputation as being among the best. In fact, in 2022, he won the eSports PC Rookie of the Year award.
He uses a simple yellow plus crosshair that is similar to ZywOo’s and it works well for most playing styles, so it’s well worth a look.
7: Justin “jks” Savage
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-4conT-ek2JL-22MyN-ia7mm-3kYbD
Next, we have Justin “jks” Savage, who hails from down under. He’s enjoyed all sorts of achievements – including being amongst HLTV’s Top 20 Players of the Year. He also won an S-Tier Tournament and back-to-back victories in the IEM Katowice – thanks to his ability to adapt his strategies and his aggressive gaming. His crosshair is nice and simple – and green plus.
8: Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-Jp4hk-AfzML-FcpUT-2pfxZ-kSLoD
The famous Aleksib is widely considered to be one of the smartest players to have played the game – and he is one of the biggest players out there, having made thousands of dollars on the competitive scene.
His crosshair is a small cyan plus shape, which suits his strategic and tactical style of play perfectly.
9: Benjamin “blameF” Breme
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-LdXHk-hatWX-JjEa8-tuLDN-5tbJD
Benjamin Breme – aka blameF, is a Danish pro who is one of the very best IGLs to ever play the game. He is a smart and tactical player who has won plenty of matches in his career – and has led teams including Great Danes, Epsilon, Heroic and Complexity to serious victories.
For his crosshair, he uses a reasonably small white plus, which is great for precision, but it can be tricky to see in some of the maps.
10: Casper “cadiaN” Møller
- Crosshair Code – CSGO-e7cwa-x67fi-pypuf-OcPE6-Jo74E
Last on our list is another Danish professional, Casper, who has earned a reputation for his versatile playing style and excellent leadership. He has enjoyed all sorts of achievements – including winning the Blast Spring Finals and coming second in the IEM Rio Major in 2022.
His crosshair is a simple yellow plus, which is a fairly common option used by lots of CS pros. Offering a great balance of speed and precision, it works well for most players.
Importing a Counter-Strike Crosshair
Once you have decided which pro’s crosshair you want to try out, it’s time to import it into your profile. This is a pretty straightforward step – you just need to follow these steps:
- Launch the game.
- Click on the settings icon (cog) and open up the menu.
- Open up the Game tab and then click on the Crosshair button.
- On the crosshair display, you’ll see a button to share or import.
- Click on the button and paste it into your chosen crosshair code.
Other Pro Crosshair Codes
Here are some other crosshair codes you might want to try…
- saffee – CSGO-HRVZh-G56yO-FMjPN-o7ed2-VwLXL
- KSCERATO – CSGO-VraXK-7zmqf-LQjcY-7VSZz-PDNfN
- Keoz – CSGO-pAQRT-fetaX-8pkY5-pcqHk-BhiaB
- iM – CSGO-P6stL-JmHys-zdzY6-XAXeF-xmKPJ
- huNter – CSGO-fefXh-O6xYZ-FdCHQ-OP9Kq-qKwLA
- Jame – CSGO-xaqow-cUtCU-MYdu3-qC47b-ZHZML
- YEKINDAR – CSGO-7ANjy-XxRae-25YoE-7Bfnp-QQSFE
- broky – CSGO-Gfqt6-ZjheF-jyOEr-2VjX8-XTFuA
- EliGE – CSGO-vwsWm-D25YH-POjxa-dTvFP-AADhP
- drop – CSGO-DPj6U-yqW4T-JK2Q3-qKmWo-JkA6Q
- apEX – CSGO-idk3k-MD5qw-6b9rH-tr7u7-KPh8E
- ropz – CSGO-dUMpD-kid-hNurR-9mCM7-WsdqA
- frozen – CSGO-jmBsb-LKp6T-aqzyY-f6Uaj-aGUSH
- b1t – CSGO-CRuM5-SNFNz-4vtqY-GpFfH-LqbxJ
Conclusion
So – there you have it… all the best crosshairs as used by the pros, how to use them – and why they are so important in your game. Look through the different options, try a few out and have a little play around to see which one you like the best. Remember, getting the right one and making the right tweaks can make a huge impact on your game! So, give them a go, good luck and happy shooting!