CS2 Launches Animgraph 2 Beta with Animation Overhaul and Performance Boost

Valve has shipped a significant beta build for Counter-Strike 2, introducing Animgraph 2, an updated animation system designed to reduce CPU and networking costs. This technical overhaul includes re-authored third-person animations, many of which have been adjusted based on player feedback.

Players can opt into the 'animgraph_2_beta' build to test these changes, though Valve server connectivity will be unavailable. Feedback and bug reports can be sent to csgoteamfeedback@valvesoftware.com with the subject "AG2 Beta."

Animgraph 2 Changes

• The CS2 animation system has been updated to Animgraph 2, reducing CPU and networking costs.
• All third-person animations have been re-authored, with several adjustments based on player feedback.
• Smoothed in-air crouching transitions in first and third-person.
• Player height on ramps is now consistent and no longer depends on approach direction, due to refactored logic for player height on sloped surfaces.
• Grenade lineups on sloped surfaces may have changed as a result.

Engine

• Updated engine code to the latest version of Source 2.

CS Script

• Added function GetRoundRemainingTime.

Gameplay

• Player occlusion now uses a GPU query to prevent players clipping through thin walls when none of their bounding volume is visible.

Sound

• Mix adjustments to help accentuate jump landing sounds during combat.
• New C4 equip sound.
• Minor adjustments to ambient sound levels.
• Fixed missing ambient sounds on team selection and end of match screens.
• Fixed missing sounds in the main menu UI.
• Mix tweaks while taking damage.
• Fixed bug where DeathCam music cue was causing volume ducking for too long.
• Vertical occlusion is now more gradual at the edges of transition points in Nuke and Vertigo.
• Various map audio adjustments in Baggage, Shoots, Ancient, Nuke, and Vertigo.

Known Issues

• In some rare cases, turning your head may cause a slight unintended camera shift.
• The Karambit crouch animation has a strange wrist rotation.
• Certain graphics settings combinations result in many things rendering as solid black.
• Some materials are missing their normal tint.
• The Default T-shirt is missing its pattern.
• Overpass has broken shadows at Fountain, Playground, and Long.
• Rapid hand switching just shows up as a blinking weapon.
• The third-person Shadow Daggers deploy animation is misbehaving.
• Third-person idle animations stop during first-person weapon inspects.
• The Paracord Knife is missing a deploy animation.