Counter-Strike 2 Update Adds Custom HUDs and Scripted Camera Control

The patch also expands bomb, movement, player-state, and debugging tools for custom map creators.

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A tactical operator interacts with a holographic interface beside a bomb device in a sunlit Counter-Strike 2-style map.

Valve has published a new Counter-Strike 2 update centered on map scripting, giving creators more tools for custom interfaces, scripted camera control, bomb interactions, and player movement.

The biggest addition is the custom_hud_layout entity, which lets scripted maps provide their own UI. Panel, Label, Image, and Button types are supported, along with CSS styling. The layouts also retain their state during tools mode reloads, although events and client-side scripting are not supported.

Map creators can also use cs_player_camera to control a player’s view without moving their pawn. The camera can be configured to let players look around from the scripted position. New scripting functions cover bomb planting and defusing, C4 timing, defuse targets, buy-menu status, movement types, camera access, and dedicated-server checks.

Several changes should make custom-map testing less painful. Initial script errors, unhandled promise rejections, and the column number for errors caught during the CompileModule step are now logged to the console. Valve also corrected event parameter types and deprecated the planter and defuser parameters from their respective bomb events.

Valve detailed the full set of changes in its Steam announcement.

Counter-Strike 2 Patch Notes

This update is almost entirely aimed at map scripting. It adds custom UI and camera systems, expands access to bomb and player state, and gives creators clearer error output when scripts fail to load or compile.

[ MAP SCRIPTING ]

Added custom_hud_layout entity:
- custom_hud_layouts are the entry point for scripted maps to provide custom UI.
- Panel, Label, Image, and Button panel types are supported.
- Styling with css is supported.
- Events and client side scripting are not supported.
- Maintains state during tools mode reloads.
Added cs_player_camera entity:
- Gives control of a player’s view without moving their pawn.
- Can be configured to let the player look around from the scripted position.
Added Instance.Delay
Added Instance.OnBombPlantStart
Added Instance.OnBombPlantAbort
Added Instance.OnBombDefuseStart
Added Instance.OnBombDefuseAbort
Added Instance.OnCustomHudClicked
Added Instance.IsDedicatedServer
Added Entity.Move
Added Entity.GetMoveType
Added Entity.SetMoveType
Added CSPlayerPawn.GetC4
Added CSPlayerPawn.GetDefuseTarget
Added CSPlayerPawn.IsBuyMenuOpen
Added CSPlayerPawn.GetCamera
Added C4.GetPlantStartTime
Added C4.GetPlantFinishTime
Added C4.AbortPlant
Added CustomHudLayout.SetHasClass
Added CustomHudLayout.SetHasClassForPlayer
Added CustomHudLayout.SetDialogVariableString
Added CustomHudLayout.SetDialogVariableStringForPlayer
Added CustomHudLayout.SetInputCaptureEnabled
Added CustomHudLayout.IsInputCaptureEnabled
Added CSPlayerCamera.IsEnabled
Added CSPlayerCamera.SetEnabled
Added CSPlayerCamera.SetIsControllingAngles
Added enum CSMoveType
Corrected types for some events where parameters were maybe undefined.
Errors encountered during initial script run are now logged to the console.
Unhandled promise rejections are now logged to the console.
Added the column number to errors caught during the CompileModule step of script loading.
Deprecated planter from Instance.OnBombPlant event
Deprecated defuser from Instance.OnBombDefuse event

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Counter-Strike 2 is a free-to-play multiplayer tactical first-person shooter developed and published by Valve. Released in September 2023, it is the fifth main entry in the Counter-Strike series and serves as a direct replacement for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam. Two teams, Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, compete in objective-based rounds across modes such as bomb defusal and hostage rescue. Built on the Source 2 engine, the game introduced volumetric smoke physics, revised weapon handling, and a new sub-tick server architecture. It inherited all cosmetic items from its predecessor and features both a map-specific Competitive mode and a numerically ranked Premier mode.