Since the release of CS2, numerous players have voiced their frustrations about seemingly unexplainable instances of their well-placed headshots missing the mark. And while it is easy to dismiss these occurrences as aiming errors or mere bad luck, there’s a growing belief that the problem may not entirely be the player’s fault. Instead, it appears that the headshots aren’t being registered as expected.
Let’s have a deeper look into this weird bug that plagues CS2 and see if Valve has taken note of this issue.
Are CS2 Headshots Not Registering?
While it’s true that headshots on enemy players who were in a looking-down posture weren’t registering, this bug has been fixed by Valve in the 10 October 2023 CS2 patch. This update came as a huge relief to players who were finding it virtually impossible to one-tap enemy players defusing the bomb.
Before the update, there was a string of clip uploads on Twitter and Reddit showcasing the hitbox being misaligned with the enemy player’s model. Therefore, in order to land a headshot on an enemy that was looking down, players were forced to aim slightly off from the model’s actual head, as demonstrated in the picture below.
While this issue has been fixed by Valve, you might have also noticed that the hitbox is a bit sluggish while trying to remain in sync with the strafing player. This phenomenon still persists in the post-update CS2, and many are claiming that this issue persists.
However, these claims are not true, as the misaligned hitbox on strafing players is actually part of the game’s design. The server hitboxes are rendered between their previous and current positions to maintain smooth animation and prevent abrupt player movements in a process called interpolation. This intended delay, determined by the tick interval, ensures that the game’s visuals run smoothly.
However, many in the CS community are still not convinced that the hitbox issues have been decisively conquered. Let’s see if there’s any truth to these claims.
Are Hitboxes Still Broken In CS2?
Valve was quick to address the broken hitbox issue in CS2; however, it seems like it’s going to take more than one update to completely fix the hitbox and hit registration issues. A Reddit user named u/iOmgTom posted a video on the r/GlobalOffensive subreddit, showcasing that this bug is far from gone.
As evident in the clip, the first knife hit went unregistered in the game, even though the OP was practically hugging the enemy player. While pinpointing the exact cause, whether it’s solely a hitbox issue or a server-client disagreement, can be challenging. However, members of the CS2 Reddit community have proposed that the problems might be stemming from the timing of the server-client interaction, with the server processing the input before the player was within knife range.
This occurrence isn’t isolated, as many other players have reported experiencing similar knife hit issues while trying to break vents, suggesting that a larger issue might be at play.
It is important to note, however, that CS2 is still a game in the process of transitioning to the new Source 2 engine. And Valve devs are actively dishing out updates to address these types of bugs, along with the potential reintroduction of missing features such as community servers and game modes.
It is likely, therefore, that you’ll encounter many bugs and inconsistencies while playing CS2. While patience remains our best course of action as CS2 evolves into a stable game akin to its predecessor, CS:GO, you can always report newly discovered bugs to Valve through email.
Conclusion
Valve took swift action to address the broken hitbox bug in CS2, and we can expect more updates in the future that will keep on refining the game. If you found this article helpful, make sure to check out other CS2 guides from our team: How To Go Back To CS:GO From CS2? 2023 Updated and Is CS2 Anti-Cheat Better Than CS:GO?