We all know how much aim can affect your performance as a player, but what separates a good CS2 player from a great one is movement. CS2 isn’t only about hitting your shots, it’s also about clearing angles properly, peeking the right way, and learning to position yourself correctly. This is what the CS2 movement is about. It’s much more than just flashy moves like bunny hopping. Learning how to properly move through the map is as important to master as aim.

This guide takes you through the basics of movement in CS2. It includes peeking, clearing angles, how to move in gunfights, and everything about movement, in general.

Positioning

Positioning is all about placing yourself at the right spot on the map. Imagine the map as a chessboard and yourself as a piece. You should be somewhere where you have the most value.

Practically, this means that you need to learn to hold the right angles and defend the right spot. But this usually depends on the team you are playing against. Observer how they attack/defend and then try to place yourself in a way that you can stop them.

Let’s take Dust 2 as an example. The enemy team is showing heavy aggression on Long by pushing through aggressively, using their utility and trying to get early control. In this case, holding a safer angle and playing a bit further away from Long is the best bet. But that’s the by-the-book play and, while it works, in most scenarios you will need to be creative.

In this example, you can try taking up an aggressive peek. The enemies won’t expect it since you have been playing safe for the past few rounds. This way you can easily get a frag and give your team a winning chance.

This is basically positioning in a nutshell, knowing how to place yourself on the map given the information you have. The best way to learn positioning is to watch your replays. When you watch your replays, you will automatically notice how ,if you were in a different spot, the round could have ended differently.

Related: 10 Small Mistakes You’re Making in CS2 that Are Costing You Rounds

Stop Crouching

This might be an obvious mistake, but one that’s done by even higher ranked players. A lot of players have the habit of crouching during gunfights. Sure, it makes the recoil easier to control but it also makes you a sitting duck.

You also can’t retreat once you crouch. This means you either will have to win the fight or die trying. So, stop crouching during gunfights unless you want to fully commit to one. However, this habit can be hard to break, but you can try this tip to make it easier.

Whenever you are warming up, unbind the crouch button. Then, just do your warmup as usual. After a couple of sessions, you will end up breaking this habit and will notice yourself winning more gunfights.

Strafing

Strafing is movement 101, and chances are you are already aware of it. Strafing is a mechanical movement tactic where you move while shooting. You do this by moving left and right and then pressing the opposite key to instantly stop and then shoot. Doing this perfectly makes you look like you are moving while shooting.

If you haven’t already, learn how to strafe. It’s a mechanical skill, so you can just keep drilling it in the practice range until you master it. Once you can strafe consistently, you will notice yourself winning more fights as it’s extremely hard to hit a strafing opponent.

Peeks

Peeking in CS2 is always dangerous, and there is not any one perfect way to peek. But there are some dos and don’ts about it.

Firstly, whenever you are peeking make sure to open yourself up to only one angle. If you just peek in the open you can easily get shot from anywhere. This is why when you peek to clear an angle make sure you are clearing one angle at a time. This is also called slicing the pie.

Secondly, learn the different kinds of peeks. The naming might be different but there are essentially two main types of peeks, a wide peek and a short peek. There are many versions of the two but the core principle remains the same.

In the short peek, you will come out of the angle slightly, basically peeking close to the wall. This works really well when the enemy is holding an aggressive angle. The other is the wide peek, where you essentially run from the angle and peek away from the wall. This usually messes up the opponents' crosshair placement.

Related: 10 Essential Binds to Have in CS2

Now, there are different variants that you can try, there is the jump peek, where you jump and then peek, confusing the enemy. There is also the crouch peek which can be used to throw off the enemy.

However, knowing when to peek is also key. You shouldn’t peek at an angle if you know the enemy is waiting to gun you down. In this case, use utilities or peek with your teammates to take him down. Secondly, if you entering a dangerous area, try not to peek without utility. and even if you do, try to use the slicing the pie technique.

Bunny Hops

Bunny hopping is the flashy mechanic of CS2, but there is a practical use for it. When you are bunny hopping, you are traveling faster than if you just run with a knife. This means you can get to places faster than the enemy. For example, a really common tactic in Mirage is to bunny hop from the CT spawn to Palace, and you will always get there before the enemy team.

Bunny hops can also be used to get back to safety if you peek incorrectly. It can be used to confuse the enemy or simply to get to places faster. So, learning the Bhop is important as most high-ranked players know it and will use it against you.

Conclusion

Movement can be hard to get your head around because it’s not apparent when you are doing it wrong. However, this guide aims to give you some guidance on how movement works in CS2, and what you can do to improve it.