CS2 Files Reveal the LAR Rifle: Is a New Weapon Coming to Counter-Strike?

Valve is keeping the Counter-Strike 2 update engine running hot. Right on the heels of the new Big Head mode, data miners have uncovered fresh evidence in the game files pointing to a potential new weapon: the M336 Rifle. 

What We Know About the LAR

Originally referred to as the M14 in older files, the newly surfaced LAR appears to be a lever-action rifle. According to insights from prominent data miners like Gabe Follower, the weapon is still in the early stages of development. It currently lacks a finished 3D model, dedicated animations, and custom sound effects. Even its inventory icon is temporarily using an AWP placeholder.

Despite the unfinished assets, the files reveal a few distinct mechanical features:

• Lever-Action Mechanics: The LAR is slated to deal high damage but will be balanced by a small magazine and a limited reserve ammo pool.

• Single-Round Reloading: Unlike most rifles in the game, the LAR will reload one bullet at a time, similar to the Nova shotgun, adding a unique timing element to mid-combat reloading.

• Optics: The rifle is expected to feature either a low-magnification scope or no magnification at all.

Will the LAR Be Released in Counter-Strike 2?

Brand new firearms are an incredibly rare sight in the Counter-Strike franchise. The last notable addition was the MP5-SD in the summer of 2018 for CS:GO, a tweaked, suppressed version of the existing MP7 rather than a ground-up new weapon class.

Valve has not officially commented on the LAR, nor is there any timeline for a potential release. The rifle may never make it to live servers. Veteran players will remember the SCAR-17—a rifle found in the game files and even featured on the old CS:GO logo that never actually became playable in matchmaking.

Whether the M336 will shake up the modern CS2 meta or join the list of abandoned developer projects remains to be seen. But as active development continues, the files suggest Valve is at least experimenting with expanding the arsenal.

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