Counter-Strike 2 Size - How Much is CS2?

Learning what disk size CS2 takes will be useful if you are just planning your PC build or want to upgrade for better performance. You can use this information to estimate what size of the hard drive you need, especially if you have a large Steam library and want to install several games alongside Counter Strike 2. The size of the game slightly changes with each update, so let’s explore how much space the game takes now and how it can change in the future.

How Many GB is CS2 Download File Size in 2026?

In January of 2025, the download file size for CS2 accounts for about 30 GB. Certain variations are possible, depending on the current version of the game, recently released patches, and the platform you download the game for (while the majority plays on Windows PCs, there is a SteamOS/Linux version too). However, there aren’t any console versions of the game. Depending on your internet speed, the download will take about one hour or less. For example, downloading 30 GB through a 100 Mbps internet connection will take about 40 minutes. If you encounter any trouble with downloading and launching CS2, check this article for troubleshooting help.

CS2 Size After Install

After installation, the game files from the initial download are unpacked, and the game starts to take more place. According to the system requirements, the game currently requires 85 GB of available space both on Windows and Linux. Note that usually games require a bit more space to run without freezing or other glitches, so leaving some spare space on your hard drive will be a good idea. If you download custom maps from the workshop, they will also take up some space, usually several hundred megabytes. If you have a PC with lower specs, explore CS2 launch options to get maximum performance.

CS2 Latest Update Size

With each CS2 update, new content is added to the game, so the place it occupies gets slightly bigger. While the current total CS2 file size accounts for about 85 GB, it can become larger in the future. The place each update takes on your hard drive does not correlate directly with the download size, as some old files get replaced by new ones, for example, when the features of the particular map are updated.

• According to SteamDB, the size of the latest CS2 patch was released on January 22nd 2025, It included small performance updates and improvements, with less than 1 MB of game files changed.

• The most recent major update was released on 27th November 2024 and had close to 1GB in size, with the files mostly related to the Shanghai Major content, such as new team stickers and Viewer Pass.

• The latest small patch in CS2 was released on 28th January 2025 and includes several megabytes, as the only change is the change from Premier Season One to Season Two.

It is also worth noting that the place taken by the current update and the game, in general, does not depend on the number of skins you own. All skins are stored within the game files from the very beginning, and they are just texture files so they do not take much space anyway. If you want to enhance your skin collection, visit Skin.Land to find a wide choice of skins for all weapons in CS2.  

CS:GO vs CS2 Size

Due to the changes in graphics quality, CS2 takes significantly more space than the previous versions. To compare, here are some numbers:

• The size of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was around 15-16 GB.

• The current demand for free space for CS2 is around 85 GB.

Currently, you are able to play the legacy version of CS:GO, but you will have to download the full CS2 version, as Valve decided not to keep CS:GO as a separate game. The drastic difference in size can be explained through moving to the better version of the Source engine and improved visuals while the core gameplay remained the same.

Valorant and Other Games vs CS2 Size

The current size of CS2 is on par with other games of similar type and genre,  Here are several other examples:

• Valorant requires approximately 32 GB download, which then gets unpacked up to 44 GB.

• Rainbow Six Siege requires 85.5 GB of free space and recommends using SSD storage for better performance.

• Overwatch requires 50 GB of hard drive space.

As you can see, modern competitive shooter games often require 50 GB more to run, but it allows them to combine stunning graphics with fast-paced action and a variety of different maps. To add more fun to your game, do not forget to add some skins to your collection with Skin.Land!