How do you download Counter-Strike 2?

Install Steam, sign in, search the store for Counter-Strike 2, and click Play Game. It is free to play, so there is no purchase step — Steam adds it to your library and starts downloading.

Is Counter-Strike 2 free to download?

Yes. The Steam store page lists Counter-Strike 2 as Free to Play. The optional Prime Status upgrade is a separate paid purchase and is not needed to download or play.

Do I need to download CS2 separately if I already had CS:GO?

No. CS2 replaced CS:GO in the same Steam app entry (app 730) on 27 September 2023, so it arrived as an update. If CS:GO is in your library, CS2 is the game that launches from it.

Can you download CS2 on Mac?

No. The Steam store page lists only Windows and SteamOS + Linux under system requirements — there is no macOS build of CS2. CS:GO was the last version of Counter-Strike released for Mac.

How big is the CS2 download?

The size changes with every content update, so the number to trust is the one Steam shows you. Check the storage figure on the Steam store page or in the download dialog before you start.

Why will CS2 not download or install?

The usual causes are not enough free disk space, a corrupted download cache, or a stalled Steam client. Clearing the download cache and verifying the integrity of the game files resolves most of it.

How to Download Counter-Strike 2

Free on Steam, Windows and Linux only, and one button away

TL;DR

CS2 is Free to Play on Steam. Install the Steam client, search for Counter-Strike 2, and click Play Game — there is no purchase step. It lives at app 730, the same store entry CS:GO used, so owners of CS:GO already have it. Steam lists Windows and SteamOS + Linux only; there is no macOS version.

Downloading CS2 is unusually simple because there is nothing to buy and nothing to choose. Valve distributes it exclusively through Steam, as a free-to-play title, from a single store page. Everything below is really about the two places people trip: the fact that CS:GO and CS2 are the same Steam app, and the platform support, which is narrower than it used to be.

Step by step

Install Steam. Grab the client from store.steampowered.com and sign in, or create a free Steam account if you do not have one.
Find the game. Search the Steam store for Counter-Strike 2, or go straight to the official store page. The app ID is 730.
Click Play Game. Because CS2 is free to play, the button says Play Game rather than Add to Cart. It adds the title to your library at no cost.
Pick an install location if you have more than one Steam library folder, and confirm. Steam shows you the download size and your free space in this dialog — that is the figure to go by, since it moves with every update.
Wait for it to finish, then launch. First launch takes longer than later ones while shaders build.

Before you start, it is worth checking your machine against the CS2 system requirements — Steam publishes a free-space figure there alongside the CPU and GPU minimums, and the graphics requirement is the one that actually rules people out.

If you already owned CS:GO

You do not download anything separately. CS2 replaced CS:GO inside the same Steam app on 27 September 2023, which is why the store page still carries a note that reviews written before that date were for CS:GO. Practically, that means:

CS:GO in your library is CS2 — the entry was renamed and updated in place.
Your inventory carried over. Skins, cases, stickers and Prime Status are attached to the Steam account, not to a specific version.
The old client is not gone, but it is not a normal install either. Valve keeps it as a beta branch on the same app — right-click Counter-Strike 2 → Properties → Betas → csgo_legacy. Official matchmaking does not work on it.

If you are wondering what the free tier actually includes versus Prime, that is covered properly in is CS2 free to play?

Platform support

The Steam store page lists two platform tabs under system requirements: Windows and SteamOS + Linux. That is the whole list.

Windows. The primary platform — Steam lists Windows 10, and a DirectX 11-capable card with Shader Model 5.0 support. This is where the overwhelming majority of players are.
SteamOS + Linux. Officially supported, which also makes CS2 playable natively on a Steam Deck — we have a separate write-up on CS2 on Steam Deck covering how it actually performs.
macOS. Not supported. There is no CS2 build for Mac, and CS:GO was the last Counter-Strike release that ran on one. Cloud streaming or a Windows install via Boot Camp on Intel Macs are the only routes, and neither is something Valve supports.

When it will not download or install

Work through these in order — they are ranked by how often they turn out to be the problem.

Check free disk space. Steam needs room for the download and the extracted install on the same drive during the process, so a drive that looks big enough sometimes is not.
Clear the Steam download cache. A corrupted cache produces stalled downloads, endless "allocating disk space", and errors that come back after every retry. Our guide to clearing the download cache walks through it.
Verify integrity of game files. Right-click CS2 in your library → Properties → Installed Files → Verify. This fixes a half-finished or partially corrupted install without redownloading everything.
Restart Steam entirely. Fully quit it — not just close the window — and reopen. A surprising share of stuck downloads are a hung client, nothing more.
Change your download region. Steam → Settings → Downloads. A congested or broken regional CDN node shows up as a download that crawls or repeatedly drops.
Check for interference. Antivirus, VPNs and corporate or campus firewalls are the usual suspects when the download refuses to start at all.

If the download completes but the game itself does not start, that is a different problem — see CS2 not launching.

After it installs

Set up your video and mouse settings before your first match; the defaults are not great.
Turn on the developer console — it gates most useful tools, and our console guide covers the awkward keyboard-layout cases.
Read the beginner's guide before you queue, then warm up somewhere the outcome does not count.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you download Counter-Strike 2?: Install Steam, sign in, search the store for Counter-Strike 2, and click Play Game. It is free to play, so there is no purchase step — Steam adds it to your library and starts downloading.
Is Counter-Strike 2 free to download?: Yes. The Steam store page lists Counter-Strike 2 as Free to Play. The optional Prime Status upgrade is a separate paid purchase and is not needed to download or play.
Do I need to download CS2 separately if I already had CS:GO?: No. CS2 replaced CS:GO in the same Steam app entry (app 730) on 27 September 2023, so it arrived as an update. If CS:GO is in your library, CS2 is the game that launches from it.
Can you download CS2 on Mac?: No. The Steam store page lists only Windows and SteamOS + Linux under system requirements — there is no macOS build of CS2. CS:GO was the last version of Counter-Strike released for Mac.
How big is the CS2 download?: The size changes with every content update, so the number to trust is the one Steam shows you. Check the storage figure on the Steam store page or in the download dialog before you start.
Why will CS2 not download or install?: The usual causes are not enough free disk space, a corrupted download cache, or a stalled Steam client. Clearing the download cache and verifying the integrity of the game files resolves most of it.