How to Run at Maximum Speed in CS2

Have you ever noticed how your teammates put away their weapons and run around the map with just a knife in hand? More experienced players and pros know exactly why they do this. However, many newcomers don’t realize that running with a knife in CS2 is the fastest way to cover distances.

Today, we will delve into why this is the case. So, if you want to learn more about how movement speed works in the game, which weapons allow you to run faster, how to develop running speed in CS2, and why quick movement is crucial in CS2, stay with us and read this article to the end!

Maximum Running Speed

Like in other Valve games running on the Source engine, running speed in CS2 is measured in units per second, where one unit is approximately equal to 2 centimeters.

The speed at which you run in CS2 is directly influenced by what weapon you have in hand. You can only achieve maximum speed while running with either a knife or a bomb – that is 250 units per second. Yes, not everyone knows that running speed with a bomb is the same as running speed with a knife.

Other types of weapons slow players down. Pistols and SMGs decrease speed by 10-20 units, while shotguns and rifles reduce speed by approximately 40. The heaviest weapons, like the M249 and Negev, reduce speed by 55 and 100 units, respectively.

If you're interested in how to increase your movement CS2 speed, there are only two legal methods: strafing and bunny hopping. Speeding up your movement through these techniques is related to the physics of the engine and the input processing system. With bunny hopping, you can achieve a maximum speed of up to 300 units per second, even with the heaviest weapon in hand.

Importance of Speedrunning with a Knife in CS2

Speed is always a decisive factor in the game. Whether it's a quick rotation from one bomb site to another or rapidly taking a position at the start of a round, the faster you move, the greater your tactical advantage. This is the main reason why every player should speedrun with a knife in CS2.

Without maximum speed, you also won’t be able to execute long jumps and ramp boosts. For instance, jumping from T-spawn to B-site on Vertigo while holding a rifle will be much more difficult, and making the jump from the window to short on Mirage without a knife in hand is virtually impossible.

Another less obvious advantage is that the faster you run, the easier it is to evade grenades and enemy shots. However, this is a double-edged sword – switching to a knife for short bursts is often unjustified for several reasons. First, you will likely spend more time switching weapons than you save by running. Second, you risk being defenseless at a critical moment, unable to pull out your primary weapon. Even a fraction of a second spent switching between guns can play a cruel trick on you.

Thus, while the knife offers a speed advantage, its use should be justified by the specific situation. If you’re unsure who might be waiting for you around the corner, it’s better to pull out a firearm and lose a couple of seconds while being prepared.

How Skin Rental Works in CS2 

Minimum Running Speed

We’ve covered how to run in CS2 faster. But how about moving as slowly as possible? While it’s unlikely anyone would find this useful in-game, we conducted speed measurements out of pure curiosity.

As mentioned earlier, the greatest reduction in running speed comes from machine guns. For the M249, the speed is 195 units per second, while for the Negev, it’s 150. These are the least mobile weapons in the game.

Moving while holding the shift key reduces your speed to about half of your running speed. Thus, for example, when walking with a Negev, your speed will only be 78 units.

However, this isn't the slowest speed in the game. The slowest way to move in the game is to crouch while simultaneously aiming with the AWP. In this case, your speed will only be 34 units.

When moving in a straight line while crouching, your speed will be slightly higher – 52 units.

How to Check Running Speed via Console

The command to view speed in CS2 is as follows: cl_showpos 1. When activated, it displays several parameters on the left side of your screen. In addition to movement speed (VEL), it shows your current coordinates on the map (POS) and the player’s rotation angle across three axes (ANG).

If you’re not sure how to enable the console, it’s quite simple – just press the “`” key.

Unfortunately, at this moment, this command does not work on official servers. However, if you’re practicing bunny hopping or strafing in the “Training” mode on a local server, this command will be invaluable – with sv_cheats 1 enabled, everything will function as intended.

Can You Increase Running Speed via Console?

Console commands that can modify your movement speed are only available in single-player mode on local servers or servers with cheats enabled.

In CSGO, players knew how to increase speed via the console – there was a command cl_forwardspeed that allowed them to adjust the speed of a player during regular running. Unfortunately, this command is unavailable in CS2. Currently, there is only one option – to speed up the game as a whole. This is done using the following command: host_timescale [your value].

The command sv_maxspeed still works. However, it sets the maximum allowable speed for each player on the server without directly changing movement speed. By setting a high value, you can achieve incredible speeds through bunny hopping in such conditions.

The fastest way to move, of course, is to fly around the map. It can be activated with the noclip command, and as you might guess, this method will not work on official servers.

The only ones who know how to increase player speed in CS2, even on official servers, are probably cheaters with speed hacks. 

CS2 Economy Guide: How the economy works

Running Speed with Different Types of Weapons in CS2

To comprehensively answer the age-old question, “What is the fastest way to run in CS2?” we decided to compile a table with all the weapons in the game.

Weapon Speed List:

1. Knife / C4: 250

2. Grenades: 245

3. Zeus x27: 240

4. All Pistols: 240 (exception: Desert Eagle – 230)

5. Nova: 220

6. XM1014: 215

7. Sawed-Off: 210

8. MAG-7: 225

9. MAC-10 / MP9 / PP-Bizon: 240

10. MP7: 220

11. UMP-45 / P90: 230

12. FAMAS: 220

13. Galil AR / AK-47: 215

14. M4A4 / M4A1-S: 225

15. AWP: 200 (zoomed: 100)

16. SSG 08: 230 (zoomed: 230)

17. AUG: 220 (zoomed: 150)

18. SG553: 210 (zoomed: 150)

19. G3SG1 / SCAR-20: 215 (zoomed: 120)

20. M249: 195

21. Negev: 150

We hope that our article on how to increase running speed in CS2 has been helpful, and now you have the answers to all your questions about speed in Counter-Strike 2!