CS2 Demo & Replay Guide

How to Download Your Match Demos

CS2 automatically records demos for competitive and Premier matches on Valve servers. These recordings are stored server-side and available for download through the game client.

Downloading from the CS2 Client

• Open your match history: Click your avatar in the top left of the main menu, then select the Matches tab to see your recent games
• Select a match: Click on any completed match to view the scoreboard and match details
• Download the demo: Click the download button to save the GOTV demo file to your local machine
• Wait for the download: Demo files range from 50-150 MB depending on match length and are saved to your replays folder

Download Availability

Match demos are available for approximately 30 days after the match is played. After this window, the demo files are removed from Valve servers and can no longer be downloaded. If you want to keep a demo permanently, download it as soon as possible after the match.

Downloading via Share Code

Every CS2 match generates a unique share code. You can find this code on the match details screen. Share codes allow anyone to download and watch the demo by entering the code in CS2. Use the console command playcast followed by the share code URL to load a shared demo directly.

Watching Demos — Basic Playback

Once a demo is downloaded, you can watch it directly from the match history screen or load it manually through the console. The demo playback system provides a full spectator interface with controls for navigating the match.

Opening a Demo

• From match history: Click the Watch button on any downloaded match in your match history
• From console: Use playdemo <filename> to load a demo file manually from the console
• From file explorer: Double-click a .dem file in your replays folder to launch CS2 and begin playback

Demo UI Controls

Press Shift+F2 or type demoui in the console to open the demo playback control panel. This panel provides a timeline scrubber, play/pause controls, and speed adjustments.

• Play/Pause: Toggle playback with the play button or press Space
• Speed control: Adjust playback speed using the slider or demo_timescale command
• Timeline scrubber: Click and drag the progress bar to jump to any point in the match
• Round navigation: Use the round markers on the timeline to quickly jump between rounds

Spectator Controls

During demo playback, you have full spectator controls to observe the match from different perspectives:

• Left/Right click: Switch between players to follow
• Number keys (1-0): Select specific players by their slot number
• Mouse3 (scroll click): Toggle between first-person, third-person, and free camera modes
• Free camera (WASD): Fly around the map freely in free camera mode to see the full picture

GOTV Demos vs POV Demos

CS2 supports two types of demo recordings, each with distinct characteristics and use cases. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right demo type for your needs.

GOTV Demos

GOTV (Game TV) demos are server-side recordings that capture the entire match from all players' perspectives. These are the standard demo format for competitive and Premier matches downloaded through the CS2 client.

• All players visible: Switch between any player at any time during playback
• Server-side data: Captures tick-accurate positions, shots, and events from the server perspective
• Larger file size: Typically 50-150 MB due to recording all ten players
• Slight interpolation: GOTV recordings may have minor smoothing compared to what players actually saw
• Best for: Team review, studying opponents, analyzing round strategies, and content creation

POV Demos

POV (Point of View) demos are client-side recordings captured from a single player's perspective using the record console command. These capture your exact inputs and what your client rendered.

• Single perspective: Only records your personal view and inputs
• Client-side accuracy: Captures your exact mouse movements, crosshair placement, and timing
• Smaller file size: Typically 10-30 MB since only one perspective is recorded
• No switching: You cannot switch to other players during playback
• Best for: Reviewing personal aim, crosshair placement, and reaction times

Recording a POV Demo

To record a POV demo, open the console and type record <filename> before the match starts. The demo will begin recording immediately. To stop recording, type stop in the console. The .dem file will be saved to your game/csgo/ directory.

Essential Demo Console Commands

CS2 provides a comprehensive set of console commands for controlling demo playback. These commands give you precise control over navigation, speed, and visual overlays.

Playback Control Commands

• demoui: Opens the demo playback control panel with timeline and buttons
• demo_pause: Pauses demo playback at the current tick
• demo_resume: Resumes playback after pausing
• demo_timescale <value>: Sets playback speed — 1 is normal, 0.5 is half speed, 4 is 4x speed
• demo_goto <tick> <0/1>: Jumps to a specific tick number — use 0 for pause on arrival, 1 for play on arrival
• demo_gototick <tick>: Alternative command to jump to a specific tick

Visual Overlay Commands

• spec_show_xray 1: Enables X-ray outlines showing all player positions through walls
• cl_show_observer_crosshair 1: Shows the observed player's crosshair during playback
• cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1: Hides all HUD elements except kill feed — useful for recording clean clips
• r_drawothermodels 0: Hides player models — useful for studying smoke placements and grenade lineups
• sv_grenade_trajectory_prac_pipreview 1: Shows grenade trajectory previews in demo playback

Camera Commands

• spec_mode 1: Sets spectator to first-person view
• spec_mode 3: Sets spectator to third-person view
• spec_mode 4: Sets spectator to free-roam camera mode
• spec_mode 5: Sets spectator to directed camera (automatic switching)
• spec_next / spec_prev: Cycle forward or backward through players

Recording Commands

• record <name>: Starts recording a POV demo with the given filename
• stop: Stops the current recording
• playdemo <name>: Loads and plays a demo file by name
• listdemo <name>: Displays information about a demo file including tick count and duration

How to Analyze Demos for Improvement

Simply watching demos passively is not enough. Effective demo review requires a structured approach focused on identifying specific mistakes and patterns.

What to Look For

• Crosshair placement: Watch where your crosshair is positioned as you move around the map — it should be at head height aimed at common angles
• Positioning mistakes: Identify times you were caught in the open, exposed to multiple angles, or holding a poor position
• Utility usage: Review whether your smokes, flashes, and molotovs were effective and properly timed
• Economy decisions: Check if your buy decisions aligned with your team's economy and the round context
• Information usage: Notice situations where you had information but failed to act on it, or where you pushed without information
• Death analysis: For every death, ask whether the engagement was avoidable, whether your positioning was correct, and whether you had a realistic chance of winning the fight

Structured Review Process

Focus on one aspect per review session. Watching a demo three times — once for positioning, once for utility, once for aim — is more effective than trying to catch everything in a single pass. Take notes on recurring mistakes and create specific practice goals based on your findings.

Reviewing Enemy Plays

Switch to enemy perspectives to understand how they read your team's strategies. Pay attention to where enemies hold, how they rotate, and what utility they use. This information helps you predict opponent behavior in future matches on the same map.

Third-Party Demo Analysis Tools

Several external tools provide advanced analysis capabilities beyond the built-in demo viewer, offering statistics, heatmaps, and automated insights.

Leetify

Leetify automatically analyzes your CS2 matches and provides detailed statistics including aim accuracy, positioning ratings, utility usage grades, and specific improvement suggestions. It tracks your progress over time and compares your stats against players at different skill levels.

SCOPE.GG

SCOPE.GG offers round-by-round breakdowns with 2D map replays showing player movements, grenade trajectories, and engagement outcomes. It provides highlight clips and performance metrics for each match.

Refrag

Refrag provides a browser-based 3D demo viewer that allows you to watch demos without launching CS2. It includes advanced features like automatic highlight detection, round filtering, and the ability to share specific moments with teammates via links.

CS2 Demo Manager

CS2 Demo Manager is a desktop application for organizing and analyzing your demo collection. It extracts statistics from demo files, displays round-by-round scoreboards, generates heatmaps, and allows you to tag and categorize your demos for easy reference.

Recording Clips from Demos

Demos are an excellent source for creating highlight clips, educational content, or cinematic recordings. CS2 provides several tools for capturing footage from demo playback.

Using Built-In Recording

CS2 supports the startmovie command for frame-by-frame recording at any resolution. This produces high-quality footage suitable for editing. Use startmovie <filename> to begin recording and endmovie to stop. Frames are saved as individual TGA files that can be compiled into a video using editing software.

Third-Party Recording Software

• OBS Studio: Free, open-source screen recording and streaming software — configure game capture for CS2 and record during demo playback
• NVIDIA ShadowPlay: Hardware-accelerated recording for NVIDIA GPU users with minimal performance impact
• AMD ReLive: Hardware recording solution for AMD GPU users

Tips for Clean Recordings

• Hide HUD elements: Use cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1 to remove the HUD for cinematic recordings
• Smooth camera: Use free camera mode with smooth mouse movements for cinematic sweeps across the map
• Slow motion: Set demo_timescale 0.25 for dramatic slow-motion replays of key moments
• X-ray toggle: Enable or disable X-ray with spec_show_xray to highlight player positions when needed
• Clean killfeed: Wait for the killfeed to clear or use commands to hide it entirely for minimal visual clutter

How to Share Demos with Others

Sharing demos is essential for team practice, coaching sessions, and community content. CS2 provides built-in sharing mechanisms and you can also transfer demo files directly.

Using Match Share Codes

The simplest way to share a demo is via the match share code. Find the share code on your match details screen and send it to another player. They can enter the share code in CS2 to download and watch the same demo. Share codes work for as long as the demo remains available on Valve servers.

Sending Demo Files Directly

You can share the raw .dem file with others via file transfer services, cloud storage, or direct file sharing. The recipient places the .dem file in their CS2 replays folder and loads it via the console using playdemo. This method works even after the demo has expired from Valve servers.

Sharing Specific Moments

When discussing specific plays with teammates, note the round number and approximate tick number. You can use demo_goto to jump directly to the relevant moment. Third-party tools like Refrag also allow you to generate shareable links to specific timestamps within a demo.

Demo File Locations on Disk

Knowing where CS2 stores demo files helps you manage your collection, back up important recordings, and transfer files between machines.

Default File Paths

• Windows (downloaded demos): C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\replays\
• Windows (POV recordings): C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/csgo/replays/
• Linux: ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/csgo/replays/

Managing Demo Storage

Demo files can accumulate quickly, consuming several gigabytes of disk space. Periodically review your replays folder and delete demos you no longer need. For important demos, create a dedicated backup folder outside the Steam directory to prevent accidental deletion during game updates or reinstallation.